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En la biblioteca nos gusta susurrar en español, pero sabemos que debemos callarnos si alguien nos mira mal.

En la biblioteca nos gusta susurrar en español, pero sabemos que debemos callarnos si alguien nos mira mal.
In the library we like to whisper in Spanish, but we know we must be quiet if someone gives us a dirty look.
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Questions & Answers about En la biblioteca nos gusta susurrar en español, pero sabemos que debemos callarnos si alguien nos mira mal.

Why is it nos gusta susurrar and not gustamos susurrar?

In Spanish, gustar doesn’t work like “to like” in English; it’s closer to “to be pleasing to”.

  • The thing that is liked is the subject: here, susurrar (whispering).
  • The person who likes it is an indirect object: nos (to us).

So:

  • Nos gusta susurrar. = Whispering is pleasing to us → We like whispering.

You only say gustamos when we are the thing that is liked, e.g. Le gustamos (He/She likes us).

What does nos mean in nos gusta and in alguien nos mira mal? Is it the same?

It’s the same pronoun nos, but used in two different roles:

  1. Nos gusta susurrar

    • nos = indirect object pronoun, to us
    • “Whispering is pleasing to us.”

  2. Alguien nos mira mal

    • nos = direct object pronoun, us
    • “Someone is looking at us badly / giving us a dirty look.”

Same word, different grammatical function depending on the verb.

Why is it susurrar en español and not susurrar español?

With languages, Spanish normally uses the preposition en to say “in [a language]”:

  • Hablar en español, escribir en inglés, leer en francés.

So susurrar en español literally means “to whisper in Spanish.”
Without en, susurrar español sounds odd or ungrammatical in standard Spanish.

Why is it sabemos que debemos callarnos instead of just sabemos debemos callarnos?

In Spanish, when one verb (like saber) introduces a full clause, you usually need que:

  • Sabemos que… = We know that…

So the structure is:

  • Sabemos que
    • clause
  • Sabemos que debemos callarnos = We know that we must be quiet.

Leaving out que (Sabemos debemos callarnos) is not correct here in standard Spanish.

What’s the difference between debemos callarnos and tenemos que callarnos?

Both express obligation, but the nuance is slightly different:

  • Debemos callarnos → more formal / moral / internal obligation.
    • We ought to / should / must be quiet.
  • Tenemos que callarnos → more practical / everyday obligation.
    • We have to be quiet.

In the library context, both are natural. The sentence just chooses debemos.

Why is callarnos written as one word instead of callar nos?

Object and reflexive pronouns attach to the end of:

  • infinitives (callarnos)
  • gerunds (callándonos)
  • affirmative commands (callaos, callaos ya).

So, with the infinitive callar, the reflexive pronoun nos goes attached: callarnos.

You would only separate it and place it before a conjugated verb:

  • Nos callamos. (We keep quiet / We fall silent.)
Why is it debemos callarnos and not just debemos callar?

Callar can be:

  • transitive: to silence (someone/something)
    • Calla al perro. (Silence the dog.)
  • reflexive callarse: to become / be quiet, to shut up (oneself).

Here, you’re talking about us going quiet, so you need the reflexive form:

  • Debemos callarnos. = We must be quiet / We must shut up (ourselves).

Debemos callar would suggest we must silence (someone/something), which is not the idea.

What exactly does mirar mal mean? Is it literally “look badly”?

Literally, mirar mal is “to look badly (at someone)”, but idiomatically it means:

  • to give someone a dirty look,
  • to look disapprovingly / angrily at someone.

So si alguien nos mira mal is like saying:

  • if someone gives us a dirty look
  • if someone looks at us in a disapproving way.

It’s a very common colloquial expression in Spain.

Why is alguien used without an article in si alguien nos mira mal?

Alguien means “someone / anyone” and is normally used without an article:

  • Alguien ha llamado. (Someone has called.)
  • Si alguien nos mira mal… (If someone gives us a dirty look…)

You don’t say “un alguien” in standard usage.
For the plural idea (some people), you’d change structure: si algunas personas nos miran mal (if some people look at us badly).

Why is it en la biblioteca and not a la biblioteca or por la biblioteca?

The prepositions mean different things:

  • en la biblioteca = in the library (location, where the action happens)
  • a la biblioteca = to the library (movement / destination)
  • por la biblioteca = around / through the library (movement in/around a place)

Since the whispering happens inside the library, en is the correct preposition:

  • En la biblioteca nos gusta susurrar… = In the library we like to whisper…
Could en español be placed somewhere else in the sentence? Is the current position the only correct one?

It can move; Spanish word order is flexible for adverbials like en español. All of these are possible:

  • En la biblioteca nos gusta susurrar en español…
  • En la biblioteca nos gusta susurrar, en español… (slight pause/emphasis)
  • En la biblioteca nos gusta, en español, susurrar… (more marked / stylistic)

The original susurrar en español is the most natural and neutral, but moving en español is grammatically fine if you want a different rhythm or emphasis.