Breakdown of Si te equivocas, borra la línea y vuelve a copiarla.
Questions & Answers about Si te equivocas, borra la línea y vuelve a copiarla.
What does the te in te equivocas do? Why is equivocarse reflexive?
Equivocarse is a pronominal (reflexive) verb meaning to make a mistake. The reflexive pronoun marks that the subject is the one “getting it wrong.”
- Yo me equivoco, tú te equivocas, él/ella se equivoca, nosotros nos equivocamos, vosotros os equivocáis, ellos se equivocan.
- Non‑reflexive equivocar exists but is transitive: Equivoqué el número (I got the number wrong), or Equivoqué tu nombre con el de tu hermano (I confused your name with your brother’s).
You’ll also see prepositions with equivocarse:
- equivocarse de número, de camino (to get the number/way wrong)
- equivocarse en el cálculo, en la fecha (to make a mistake in the calculation/date)
Why is it Si te equivocas (indicative) and not Si te equivoques (subjunctive)?
After si for real or likely conditions, Spanish uses the present indicative: Si te equivocas… This is the standard way to express a possible, real‑world scenario.
- Real/likely: Si te equivocas, borra… (If you make a mistake, erase…)
- More hypothetical/remote: Si te equivocaras/si te equivocas alguna vez, borrarías… (If you were to make a mistake, you would erase…)
- Note: Subjunctive with si appears in set expressions like ¡Aunque me maten, si lo sabré yo! but not in ordinary real conditions.
- Also remember: negative commands use the present subjunctive (No te equivoques), but positive commands use the imperative (Equivócate —rare as a standalone—, or here Borra…).
Are borra and vuelve tú commands? How would this change for usted, vosotros, or ustedes in Spain?
Yes, borra and vuelve are affirmative tú imperatives.
- Usted (formal, singular): Si se equivoca, borre la línea y vuelva a copiarla.
- Vosotros (informal plural, Spain): Si os equivocáis, borrad la línea y volved a copiarla.
- Ustedes (formal plural in Spain; general plural in Latin America): Si se equivocan, borren la línea y vuelvan a copiarla.
Note: Spain uses vosotros for informal plural; voseo (vos, equivocás) isn’t used in Spain.
Where do I put the object pronoun with volver a + infinitive? Is vuelve a copiarla the only option?
With affirmative commands plus an infinitive, you have two correct placements:
- Attach to the infinitive: Vuelve a copiarla (as in the sentence).
- “Clitic climbing” to the imperative: Vuélvela a copiar.
Both are natural in Spain. Avoid putting the pronoun before an affirmative imperative: La vuelve a copiar is not a command.
Negative commands place the pronoun before:
- No la vuelvas a copiar / No vuelvas a copiarla.
Why is it copiarla and not copiarlo?
Because la refers back to la línea (feminine singular). Direct object pronouns must agree in gender and number with the noun they replace:
- la línea → la
- el texto → lo
- las líneas → las
- los textos → los
Could I just repeat the noun instead of using the pronoun? For example, vuelve a copiar la línea.
Yes. Both are correct:
- Vuelve a copiarla.
- Vuelve a copiar la línea.
Using the pronoun avoids repeating the noun and sounds natural when the referent is clear.
What does volver a + infinitive mean? Are there alternatives like otra vez or de nuevo?
Volver a + infinitive means to do something again. It’s very common in Spain.
- Vuelve a copiarla = Copy it again. Alternatives:
- Cópiala otra vez.
- Cópiala de nuevo.
All are fine; volver a + infinitive is often the most idiomatic for “again.”
What’s the difference between borrar, tachar, and eliminar?
- Borrar: erase/delete (pencil marks, whiteboard, text on a screen).
- Tachar: cross out (draw a line through text on paper).
- Eliminar/suprimir: delete/remove (more formal/technical, common in computer contexts).
In your sentence, borrar fits best for erasing a written or typed line. If you’re physically putting a line through it on paper, tachar la línea would be more precise.
Why does línea have an accent?
Why si without an accent here? How is it different from sí?
- si (no accent) = if. Si te equivocas… (If you make a mistake…)
- sí (accent) = yes, or a reflexive pronoun after a preposition (lo hizo por sí mismo = he did it by himself).
Your sentence uses si = if, so no accent.
Can I say Bórrala instead of Borra la línea?
Yes. With affirmative commands, object pronouns attach to the verb:
- Borra la línea → Bórrala.
Note the accent to keep the stress: bó-rrala. Similarly: Cópiala, Vuélvela a copiar.
Is recopiar a valid way to say “copy again”?
You may see recopiar in some dictionaries or contexts, but it’s uncommon in everyday Spanish in Spain. The natural choices are:
- volver a copiar
- copiar otra vez
- copiar de nuevo
Stick with those in general use.
Why is there a comma after Si te equivocas?
When the si‑clause (condition) comes first, Spanish uses a comma before the main clause:
- Si te equivocas, borra…
If the main clause comes first, no comma is needed:
- Borra la línea si te equivocas.
Do I need the preposition a after vuelve?
Yes. The structure is volver a + infinitive to mean do again:
- Vuelve a copiarla (correct) Not: Vuelve copiarla (incorrect)
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