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El callejón detrás de mi casa está lleno de charcos cuando llueve.

El callejón detrás de mi casa está lleno de charcos cuando llueve.
The alley behind my house is full of puddles when it rains.
FromLesson 17inHardcore Spanish (Spain)

Breakdown of El callejón detrás de mi casa está lleno de charcos cuando llueve.

la casa
the house
mi
my
estar
to be
cuando
when
de
of
llover
to rain
lleno
full
el callejón
the alley
detrás de
behind
el charco
the puddle

Questions & Answers about El callejón detrás de mi casa está lleno de charcos cuando llueve.

Why is it está and not es in está lleno de charcos?
Use estar for temporary or changeable states and conditions. Being full of puddles is a condition that comes and goes, so el callejón está lleno. Use ser for inherent traits: El callejón es estrecho (the alley is narrow).
Why is lleno singular masculine? Shouldn’t it agree with charcos?
Adjectives agree with the subject, not with the complement introduced by de. The subject is el callejón (masculine, singular), so lleno is masculine singular. If the subject were plural, you’d say: Los callejones están llenos de charcos.
Why lleno de and not lleno con?
The idiomatic pattern is estar/ quedar lleno de + noun. Lleno con sounds odd in this meaning. You can use llenar algo con to describe the action: La lluvia llena el callejón con charcos, but the resulting state is está lleno de charcos.
Why cuando llueve and not cuando llueva?
  • Cuando + indicativo (here, llueve) expresses a habitual or general fact: whenever it rains, this happens.
  • Cuando + subjuntivo (e.g., cuando llueva) refers to a specific future contingency: Cuando llueva, no saldremos (when it rains [next time/in the future], we won’t go out).
Can I say cuando está lloviendo instead of cuando llueve?
Yes. Cuando está lloviendo focuses on the ongoing action (right while it’s raining). Cuando llueve is broader and works well for general statements or habits. Both are fine here; the nuance is minor.
Is El callejón que está detrás de mi casa… better than El callejón detrás de mi casa…?
Both are correct. The version with que está is a full relative clause and is a bit more explicit and natural in careful writing: El callejón que está detrás de mi casa… The shorter El callejón detrás de mi casa… is common in speech and informal writing, but in some contexts could feel telegraphic.
Does detrás de mi casa modify the alley or the fullness with puddles?
As written, it naturally attaches to el callejón: the alley behind my house is full. To avoid any possible ambiguity, you can say: El callejón que está detrás de mi casa está lleno de charcos.
Is detrás de the right preposition in Spain? What about atrás de or tras?
  • Detrás de is the standard everywhere: detrás de mi casa.
  • Atrás de is common in much of Latin America but is not typical in Spain.
  • Tras (without de) is correct and a bit more formal/literary: tras mi casa. In everyday Spain Spanish, detrás de is most natural.
Could I say se llena de charcos instead of está lleno de charcos?

Yes, but it changes the focus:

  • Se llena de charcos highlights the process (it gets filled).
  • Está lleno de charcos describes the resulting state (it is full).
    For a habitual result after rain, both are idiomatic: Cuando llueve, el callejón se llena de charcos / está lleno de charcos.
Is charcos the right word? What’s the difference between charco and charca?
  • Charco = puddle (small, on the ground after rain).
  • Charca = small pond/pool of standing water (bigger and more permanent than a puddle). Other words: bache (pothole), lodazal (muddy area), balsa (pool/pond, often man‑made).
Why use the definite article El? Could I say Callejón detrás de mi casa… or Mi callejón…?
In Spanish, subjects normally take an article: El callejón… Dropping it (Callejón…) sounds like a headline. Mi callejón would mean you own or personally “have” that alley, which is unlikely. You can also hear in Spain: El callejón de detrás de mi casa, but detrás de mi casa is simpler and standard.
Any tips on pronunciation and stress for callejón, llueve, detrás?
  • callejón: stress the last syllable; j is a harsh h‑sound in Spain; ll is pronounced like the English y in most regions.
  • llueve: ll like y; ue is one syllable
  • detrás: stress the last syllable; that’s why it has an accent mark.
    Note: mi (my) has no accent; mí (me, after a preposition) does.
Can I put cuando llueve at the start?
Yes. If the cuando clause comes first, add a comma: Cuando llueve, el callejón… If it comes at the end, no comma is needed.
Could I say hay muchos charcos instead of está lleno de charcos?

Yes, but the nuance differs:

  • Hay muchos charcos states existence/quantity (there are many puddles).
  • Está lleno de charcos emphasizes abundance to the point of being full/covered. It’s stronger.
Should I add de agua after charcos, like charcos de agua?
It’s usually unnecessary because puddles are understood to be water. You’d only add a complement to specify the type, e.g., charcos de barro (mud puddles) or charcos de aceite.
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