Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Desde que uso subtítulos en español, entiendo mejor la primera temporada de la serie. - Since I have been using subtitles in Spanish, I understand the first season of the series better.

Desde que uso subtítulos en español…
- Literally: Since I use Spanish subtitles…
- Spanish present often covers “since I started using and I (still) use”.
- It emphasizes the current habit: using subtitles is now your normal way of watching.
Desde que empecé a usar subtítulos en español…
- Since I started using Spanish subtitles…
- Focuses more on the moment of beginning that habit.
Desde que he usado subtítulos en español… (more common in Spain than in Latin America)
- Since I’ve used Spanish subtitles…
- Highlights the period up to now as a completed experience (perfect aspect).

In everyday speech in Spain, desde que + present is very natural when an action began in the past and is still true now, especially for habits:

Vivo aquí desde que tengo diez años. = I’ve lived here since I was ten.

What is the difference between desde, desde que, and desde hace?

They all relate to time, but they’re used differently:

desde + a point in time (noun / date)
- Veo la serie desde ayer. = I’ve been watching the series since yesterday.
- Desde 2019 veo esa serie. = I’ve watched that series since 2019.
desde que + a clause (with a verb)
- Desde que uso subtítulos en español, entiendo mejor…
- Verb must follow: desde que + [subject + verb].
- Roughly: since / ever since in English.
desde hace + period of time
- Veo la serie desde hace un año. = I’ve been watching the series for a year.
- Literally: since it’s been one year (but we translate it as for a year).

So in your sentence, you need desde que because what follows is a whole clause with a verb: (yo) uso subtítulos en español.

Why is the verb after desde que in the indicative (uso) and not in the subjunctive?

With desde que you almost always use the indicative, because you are talking about a real, concrete point in time or a real situation:

Desde que uso subtítulos en español… → real habit.
Desde que llegaste, todo es diferente. → real arrival.

You would only use the subjunctive with desde que in more literary, hypothetical, or future-uncertain contexts, which are rare in everyday speech, for example:

Desde que vengas, podremos hablar. (very marked / literary)

For normal, factual statements like your sentence, indicative is the correct and natural choice.

Why is it uso subtítulos and not estoy usando subtítulos?

In Spanish, the present simple is used much more than English “I am -ing” for:

Habits:
- Uso subtítulos en español. = I (usually / generally) use Spanish subtitles.
Situations that are true “around now”:
- Trabajo en Madrid. = I work in Madrid. / I am working in Madrid.

The present progressive (estoy usando subtítulos) is only used when you want to emphasize that something is happening right now, at this very moment:

Ahora mismo estoy usando subtítulos en español. = Right now I’m using Spanish subtitles.

Your sentence talks about a general habit when you watch the series, not about this exact moment, so uso subtítulos is the natural form.

Why is it subtítulos en español and not subtítulos españoles?

Both are grammatically possible, but they are not used in exactly the same way:

subtítulos en español
- Literally: subtitles in Spanish (language).
- This is the normal, most common way to talk about subtitle language.
- You can say:
  - subtítulos en español / en inglés / en francés…
subtítulos españoles
- Literally: Spanish subtitles.
- This can be understood as “subtitles in the Spanish language”, but it can also sound like “subtitles from Spain”, contrasting with subtitles from Latin America, for example.
- It’s less standard when simply talking about language options on a platform.

So for language settings (audio, subtitles, interface), Spanish speakers strongly prefer en + language:

audio en español, subtítulos en inglés, película en versión original.

Can I change the word order? For example: Entiendo mejor la primera temporada de la serie desde que uso subtítulos en español.

Yes. Spanish word order is quite flexible. These versions are all correct, with only slight differences in emphasis:

Desde que uso subtítulos en español, entiendo mejor la primera temporada de la serie.
- Focuses first on the cause (using subtitles), then the result.
Entiendo mejor la primera temporada de la serie desde que uso subtítulos en español.
- Starts with the result (understanding better), and then explains why.

Both are very natural. The meaning is the same; only the focus and rhythm of the sentence change a little.

Why is there a comma after en español (after the first clause)?

In Spanish, when a dependent clause (like the one introduced by desde que) comes before the main clause, it’s normal to separate them with a comma:

Desde que uso subtítulos en español, entiendo mejor…
Cuando estoy cansado, no estudio.

If the order is reversed, the comma is usually not used:

Entiendo mejor la primera temporada de la serie desde que uso subtítulos en español.

So the comma is there for clarity and follows a common punctuation rule, not because of any special grammar with desde que.

What is the difference between entiendo and comprendo here? Could I say comprendo mejor?

You can say comprendo mejor la primera temporada de la serie, and it’s correct.

In everyday modern Spanish:

entender is more common, especially in spoken language.
comprender sounds a bit more formal, careful, or sometimes more intellectual.

In this context (understanding a series better thanks to subtitles), entiendo mejor is the most natural, conversational choice, especially in Spain. But comprendo mejor is not wrong.

Why is it mejor and not más with entiendo?

Mejor means better, while más means more. With verbs like entender, mejor is the usual choice:

Entiendo mejor la primera temporada. = I understand the first season better.

Entiendo más la primera temporada is possible, but it sounds a bit less idiomatic; it can suggest “I understand a larger part / more of it”, while mejor clearly indicates quality of understanding, not quantity.

Also, the position is flexible:

Entiendo mejor la primera temporada de la serie.
Entiendo la primera temporada de la serie mejor.

Both are correct; the version in your sentence is more common.

Why is it la primera temporada and not just primera temporada?

In Spanish, specific singular nouns usually need a definite article (el, la, los, las) where English might omit it:

English: I like first season best.
Spanish: Me gusta más la primera temporada.

In your sentence, you are talking about a specific, known season of a specific series. So you use la:

la primera temporada (the first season)
la segunda temporada, la tercera temporada, etc.

Leaving out the article (∗primera temporada de la serie) would sound ungrammatical in this context.

Why is temporada feminine (la primera temporada) and how does agreement work here?

In Spanish, every noun has grammatical gender. temporada is feminine, so:

la temporada (not ∗el temporada)
una temporada

Adjectives and ordinal numbers must agree in gender and number with the noun:

la primera temporada
la segunda temporada
las primeras temporadas

So the -a ending in primera matches the feminine noun temporada. If the noun were masculine, you’d say, for example:

el primer capítulo
el segundo episodio.