Breakdown of ¿Te importa si enciendo la luz?
yo
I
te
you
encender
to turn on
la luz
the light
si
if
importar
to mind
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Spanish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about ¿Te importa si enciendo la luz?
Why is importa in the third person singular?
Because the subject is the action that follows, not the person. Importar works like gustar: the thing that “matters” is the clause si enciendo la luz (a single idea), so you use third person singular: me/te/le… importa. If the subject were plural, you’d use importan (e.g., ¿Te importan estas cosas?).
What does te mean here?
It’s the indirect object pronoun “to you” (informal singular). Literally: “Does it matter to you if I turn on the light?”
How do I make it formal or plural in Spain?
- Formal singular (usted): ¿Le importa si enciendo la luz?
- Informal plural (vosotros): ¿Os importa si enciendo la luz?
- Formal plural (ustedes): ¿Les importa si enciendo la luz? You can add emphasis with a prepositional phrase: A usted le importa… / A vosotros os importa…
Can I drop the pronoun and ask more generally?
Yes: ¿Importa si enciendo la luz? This sounds more impersonal, as if asking the room rather than one person.
Why si without an accent and not sí?
Si (no accent) means “if.” Sí (with accent) means “yes.” Here you need “if.”
Why is it enciendo and not something like encendo?
Encender is a stem‑changing verb (e → ie) in the present tense: enciendo, enciendes, enciende, encendemos, encendéis, encienden.
Shouldn’t it be subjunctive after this kind of expression?
After si (if) you use the indicative for a real/likely condition: si enciendo. But with que you do use the subjunctive: ¿Te importa que encienda la luz? Both are correct; they’re just two different structures.
Which is more natural in Spain: ¿Te importa si enciendo…? or ¿Te importa que encienda…?
Both are common and natural. Si + indicative is very everyday; que + subjunctive can feel slightly more careful/formal, but you’ll hear both all the time.
What’s the difference between ¿Te importa si enciendo la luz? and ¿Te importa encender la luz?
- ¿Te importa si enciendo la luz? = Do you mind if I turn it on? (I will do it.)
- ¿Te importa encender la luz? = Would you mind turning it on? (You do it.)
How can I make it softer or more polite?
- Direct/neutral: ¿Puedo encender la luz?
- Politer: ¿Te importaría si enciendo la luz?
- Even politer (with subjunctive): ¿Te importaría que encendiera la luz?
- Stronger (suggests annoyance): ¿Te molestaría si…?
How do people answer politely?
- Granting permission: No, no me importa, Claro, Adelante, Sí, enciéndela.
- Refusing: Sí, me importa (correct but a bit blunt), or softer: Preferiría que no, Ahora no, por favor. Note the natural double negative: No, no me importa = “No, I don’t mind.”
Why la luz and not el luz?
Because luz is feminine: la luz / una luz. Saying el luz is incorrect.
Can I replace la luz with a pronoun?
Yes, use the direct object pronoun la:
- ¿Te importa si la enciendo?
- With an infinitive: ¿Te importa encenderla? Place la before a conjugated verb or attach it to an infinitive/gerund/affirmative command.
How is this pronounced in Spain?
In most of Spain, c before e/i and z are pronounced like English “th”:
- enci- in enciendo → “en-thien-do”
- luz → “luth” In Latin America, both are pronounced like an “s.”
Are there synonyms for encender?
- Spain: encender (turn on), apagar (turn off) are the standard verbs.
- prender is common in much of Latin America, not in Spain for lights.
- Avoid dar la luz here; dar a luz means “to give birth.”
Can I change the word order?
Yes:
- ¿Te importa si la enciendo?
- Si enciendo la luz, ¿te importa? (comma after the initial si-clause) Don’t say si enciendo la (you need the full noun or the pronoun before the verb).