Breakdown of No quiero un anillo caro, solo que la persona que me lo prometa sea sincera.
yo
I
querer
to want
un
a
ser
to be
Questions & Answers about No quiero un anillo caro, solo que la persona que me lo prometa sea sincera.
What does solo que mean here? Can I say solo quiero que instead?
In this sentence, solo means “only / just”, and que introduces the clause that follows.
The full, “non-shortened” version would be:
- No quiero un anillo caro, solo quiero que la persona que me lo prometa sea sincera.
= I don’t want an expensive ring; I just want the person who promises it to me to be sincere.
Spanish often omits a repeated verb when the meaning is clear. So:
- No quiero X, solo (quiero) Y.
Both versions are correct:
- solo que la persona… (elliptical, more colloquial/natural in speech)
- solo quiero que la persona… (explicit, slightly clearer for learners)
Meaning-wise, they are the same here.
Why is prometa used instead of promete? What form is prometa?