Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Si el teclado falla, uso el ratón y el altavoz de mi hermana. - If the keyboard fails, I use the mouse and my sister’s speaker.

In Spanish, the verb in a si-clause does not take the future. For real or likely conditions you use the present: Si el teclado falla... The result clause can be:

Present for a general/habitual response: ...uso el ratón...
Future for a specific future plan: ...usaré el ratón... Incorrect: Si el teclado fallará...

What’s the difference between Si el teclado falla, uso... and Si el teclado falla, usaré...?

...uso... = a habitual or usual reaction (whenever this happens, this is what I do).
...usaré... = a one-time or specific future reaction/plan in that case.

How do I say an unlikely hypothetical like “If the keyboard failed, I would use …”?

Use the imperfect subjunctive + conditional: Si el teclado fallara/fallase, usaría el ratón y (los) altavoces de mi hermana.
For a past contrary-to-fact: Si el teclado hubiera fallado, habría usado...

Why is there a comma after the si-clause?

When the si-clause comes first, Spanish puts a comma: Si el teclado falla, ...
If the main clause comes first, you usually omit it: Uso el ratón... si el teclado falla.

Can I reverse the order of the clauses?

Yes: Uso el ratón y el altavoz de mi hermana si el teclado falla. That’s fully natural.

Do I need to say yo uso?

No. Spanish drops subject pronouns when the verb ending makes the subject clear. Yo is added only for emphasis or contrast: Yo uso el ratón (no el trackpad).

Why are there definite articles (el) before teclado, ratón, and altavoz?

Spanish normally uses an article with singular count nouns. Here it refers to specific devices. If you mean nonspecific ones, use un/una/unos:

Si el teclado falla, uso un ratón (any mouse).
…uso los altavoces (a particular set) vs …uso unos altavoces (some speakers).

Does de mi hermana apply to both the mouse and the speaker or just the speaker?

Postposed de X after a coordination is often understood to modify the whole set, so many will take el ratón y el altavoz de mi hermana as “both belong to my sister.” But it can be ambiguous. To be crystal clear:

Both items hers: el ratón y el altavoz, los de mi hermana / el ratón de mi hermana y su altavoz / el ratón y el altavoz de mi hermana, ambos suyos.
Only the speaker hers: mi ratón y el altavoz de mi hermana / el ratón (mío) y el altavoz de mi hermana.

Should it be singular el altavoz or plural los altavoces?

If you mean a typical pair of external computer speakers, use plural: los altavoces. Singular el altavoz is fine if you literally use one speaker (e.g., a single Bluetooth speaker or a device’s built‑in speaker).

Is falla the best verb here? What about no funciona, se estropea, se avería?

All are good; nuances:

falla = “fails/malfunctions” (very common and neutral).
no funciona = “doesn’t work” (describes the state).
se estropea (Spain) = “breaks/gets damaged/goes bad” (very idiomatic).
se avería = “breaks down/has a fault” (more formal/technical).

I’ve heard me with fallar. Can I say Si el teclado me falla?

Yes. Me is a so‑called ethical/affected dative; Si el teclado me falla means “If the keyboard fails on me,” highlighting that it affects you. It’s very natural in Spain.

Pronunciation tips (Spain): ratón, falla, altavoz?

ratón: stress the last syllable; the written accent marks the stress.
falla: ll sounds like English “y” in most of Spain: “FA-ya.”
altavoz: final z is a “th” sound (like in “thin”) in most of Spain. Also, the d in teclado between vowels is soft.

Why is si written without an accent, but sí sometimes has one?

si (no accent) = “if.”
sí (accent) = “yes” or the reflexive/pronominal form after prepositions (e.g., para sí).

Why not change y to e before el altavoz?

Spanish changes y to e only before words that begin with the “i/hi” sound (e.g., padres e hijos). Here the next word is el, so you keep y: …el ratón y el altavoz…

Can I use cuando instead of si?

You can, but it changes the nuance:

Si el teclado falla… = conditional/possible.
Cuando el teclado falla… = temporal/habitual, implying it does happen.

Is ratón and altavoz the preferred vocabulary in Spain?

Yes. In Spain, ratón (also colloquially mouse) and altavoz/altavoces are standard. In much of Latin America you’ll also hear mouse, parlante(s) or bocina(s).