Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): ¿Seguimos después de la cena?

Breakdown of ¿Seguimos después de la cena?

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What verb form is seguimos, and why is it used in a question like this?

Seguimos is present indicative, first person plural (we) of seguir.
In Spanish, the present can ask about near-future plans and also make a gentle suggestion. So ¿Seguimos…? functions like a soft proposal to continue.

Is seguir irregular? Does seguimos have a stem change?

Seguir is irregular (e→i) in most present forms: sigo, sigues, sigue, seguimos, seguís, siguen.
In the nosotros form (seguimos) there is no stem change, which is why it looks regular here.

What’s the difference between ¿Seguimos…? and Sigamos…?

¿Seguimos…? (present indicative) = a polite question/suggestion: Are we continuing…?
Sigamos… (first person plural imperative, i.e., present subjunctive) = a direct suggestion/encouragement: Let’s continue.
Both are fine; ¿Seguimos…? sounds a bit softer.

Could I say ¿Seguiremos después de la cena? instead? What changes?

¿Seguiremos…? (future) asks about what will happen; it’s more about prediction/plan confirmation.
¿Seguimos…? is more immediate and collaborative, like seeking agreement now. In everyday Spanish, it’s the more natural way to suggest continuing.

Why is it después de and not just después before a noun?

With a noun or an infinitive, you must use después de: después de la cena, después de cenar.
Después alone works as an adverb when it stands on its own: Cenamos y después seguimos.

Do I need the article in la cena? Could I say después de cenar?

Use después de la cena when referring to a specific dinner (e.g., tonight’s dinner).
Después de cenar (after dining) is very common and natural when you mean the activity in general, not a specific event.

Why not del cena?

Del = contraction of de + el (masculine). Cena is feminine, so you must say de la cena.
You would use del only with masculine nouns: después del concierto.

Are there synonyms for después de in Spain, like tras or luego de?

Tras is a good, concise synonym and common in Spain: ¿Seguimos tras la cena?
Luego de is much more common in Latin America; in Spain it can sound formal or regional. Prefer después de or tras.

Is the word order fixed? Can I say ¿Después de la cena seguimos?

Both ¿Seguimos después de la cena? and ¿Después de la cena seguimos? are correct.
Starting with the time phrase (Después de la cena…) puts slight emphasis on when, but the meaning is the same.

Do I need to include nosotros? What would ¿Seguimos nosotros…? mean?

Spanish normally drops subject pronouns, so nosotros isn’t needed.
¿Seguimos nosotros…? adds emphasis/contrast (we, as opposed to others), and would be used only if the context calls for it.

How is it pronounced in Spain, and what about the accents?

después has a written accent on é because the stress falls there despite ending in -s.
cena is pronounced with the c as [θ] in most of Spain: [ˈθena].
In seguimos, the u in gui is silent (no dieresis), so it’s roughly [seˈɣimos]. The stress is on -gi-.

Do I need to add an object after seguimos? Like ¿Seguimos con esto…?

If it’s clear from context what you’re continuing, ¿Seguimos…? is fine.
To be explicit, add a complement: ¿Seguimos con esto/lo de antes/el proyecto… después de la cena?

Can I use continuamos instead of seguimos?

Yes: ¿Continuamos después de la cena? is correct.
Seguir is very common in speech and naturally pairs with activities in progress (often with a gerund: seguimos trabajando). Continuar can sound a touch more formal/neutral.

Is ¿Seguimos…? casual or formal? How could I make it more polite in Spain?

¿Seguimos…? is neutral and fine in most contexts.
To soften or formalize: ¿Continuamos después de la cena, si le parece? (usted) or ¿Le parece bien continuar después de la cena?

Any Spain-specific notes about la cena?

In Spain, la cena is the evening meal, typically later than in many English-speaking countries.
Don’t confuse la cena (dinner) with la comida (the main midday meal). If you meant after lunch, you’d say después de la comida.

Is there a more natural alternative to talk about the activity rather than the event of dinner?

Yes: ¿Seguimos después de cenar? is very idiomatic when the specific dinner isn’t the point, just the time after the act of eating.