Breakdown of En español, también voy avanzando poco a poco cuando descubro trucos para recordar palabras.
Questions & Answers about En español, también voy avanzando poco a poco cuando descubro trucos para recordar palabras.
In Spanish, you usually do not use the article with names of languages when you say what language something is in.
- En español = In Spanish (the language)
- En el español would sound odd here; it suggests “in the Spanish [something]”, as if there were a specific Spanish text or exam.
So:
- ✅ En español hablo con mis amigos. – I speak in Spanish with my friends.
- ❌ En el español hablo con mis amigos. – Sounds wrong in this general sense.
You can use the article in other structures, though:
- El español es difícil. – Spanish is hard.
- Me gusta el español. – I like Spanish.
At the beginning of this sentence, En español correctly means “In Spanish (the language)” with no article.
También means also / too, and it’s modifying the whole idea voy avanzando….
The normal, neutral position is before the verb phrase:
- En español, también voy avanzando… – In Spanish, I’m also making progress…
Other possible positions:
- También en español voy avanzando… – Emphasis that Spanish is also a language where you’re progressing (in addition to some other language).
- En español voy avanzando también… – Grammatically fine, but the también sounds less central and a bit tagged on at the end.
The original order is the most common and natural in standard European Spanish for this meaning: “In Spanish, I’m also making progress…”
All three relate to making progress, but the nuance changes:
Voy avanzando = ir + gerundio
- Expresses gradual, step‑by‑step progress over time.
- Very natural here with poco a poco.
- Rough idea: “I’m progressing bit by bit / I keep progressing.”
Estoy avanzando = estar + gerundio
- Standard progressive: I am (currently) progressing.
- Focuses slightly more on the ongoing action right now, less on the idea of gradual accumulation over time.
- En español, también estoy avanzando poco a poco… is absolutely correct, but it loses a bit of the “little-by-little, over time” flavor of voy avanzando.
Avanzo = simple present
- En español, también avanzo poco a poco… is also correct.
- Feels more like stating a general fact or habit: “I (do) make progress little by little.”
- The progressive forms (voy avanzando / estoy avanzando) emphasize the ongoing process more.
In Spain, ir + gerundio (voy avanzando, vas mejorando, etc.) is very common to show gradual improvement or change.
Poco a poco literally means “little by little” and is a very common idiom.
- It emphasizes small steps and gradual improvement, not just speed.
- Compared with lentamente (slowly), which focuses mainly on slowness, poco a poco suggests steady, incremental progress:
Examples:
- Voy aprendiendo español poco a poco. – I’m learning Spanish little by little.
- Con práctica, poco a poco vas mejorando. – With practice, little by little you get better.
So in this sentence, poco a poco fits perfectly with voy avanzando: both highlight gradual, ongoing progress.
After cuando, Spanish uses either indicative or subjunctive, depending on the meaning.
Here we have:
- cuando descubro trucos — indicative (present)
This is used because the speaker is talking about a general, repeated situation or habit:
- Whenever I discover tricks, I make progress…
It’s something that does happen, in general.
Use the subjunctive (cuando descubra trucos) when you talk about a future, not-yet-real event, often in the main clause with future meaning:
- Avanzaré más cuando descubra trucos nuevos.
I’ll make more progress when I discover new tricks. (Not yet happened.)
So:
- Cuando descubro trucos → general, habitual situation (indicative).
- Cuando descubra trucos → specific event in the future, not yet real (subjunctive).
In this sentence, we’re describing a general pattern of learning, so descubro (indicative) is correct.
The preposition choice changes the relationship:
trucos para recordar palabras
- Literally: tricks in order to remember words
- para + infinitive expresses purpose or goal → tricks whose purpose is remembering words.
trucos de recordar palabras
- This would sound unnatural in Spanish.
- de + infinitive is not normally used in this way to express purpose.
So for “tricks for remembering X”, Spanish uses:
- trucos para recordar X
- consejos para aprender X
- técnicas para mejorar X
Think: “for the purpose of” = para + infinitive.
After para (on its own, without que), Spanish normally uses the infinitive to express purpose:
- para recordar palabras – to remember words / for remembering words
- para estudiar – to study / for studying
- para practicar más – to practise more
If you say para que, then you need a finite verb (usually subjunctive) and a change of subject:
Busco trucos para recordar palabras.
I’m looking for tricks to remember words. (same subject: I want to remember)Busco trucos para que los estudiantes recuerden palabras.
I’m looking for tricks so that the students remember words. (different subject)
Here, the subject of recordar is the same person as the subject of the main clause, so para + infinitive (para recordar) is the correct structure.
In Spanish, when speaking generally about things (not specific, identified items), you often omit the article, especially with plural nouns.
- recordar palabras – remember words (in general)
- recordar las palabras – remember the words (some specific words already known in the conversation)
Examples:
- Me cuesta recordar nombres. – I find it hard to remember names (in general).
- No puedo recordar los nombres. – I can’t remember the names (we both know which names).
In this sentence, the learner is talking about vocabulary in general, not some specific list, so recordar palabras (no article) is the natural choice.
Both are related to remembering, but the grammar and typical usage differ:
recordar (non‑reflexive, direct object)
- recordar palabras – to remember words
- recordar algo – remember something
- More direct, neutral and very common in both Spain and Latin America.
acordarse de (reflexive, with de)
- acordarme de palabras – to remember words
- Structure: acordarse de + algo
- You must use the reflexive pronoun:
- me acuerdo de / te acuerdas de / se acuerda de, etc.
- Feels a bit more colloquial / conversational in many contexts.
Compare:
- No recuerdo la palabra. – I don’t remember the word.
- No me acuerdo de la palabra. – Same meaning, a bit more informal in feel.
In this sentence, trucos para recordar palabras sounds very natural and straightforward.
You could say trucos para acordarme de palabras, but then the pronoun me would have to refer clearly to the speaker; it makes the phrase more personal and a bit clunky in this general statement.
In Spanish, the verb endings already show the subject, so pronouns like yo, tú, él are often omitted unless you want to emphasize or contrast.
- voy avanzando = I am making progress (the -oy ending shows yo)
- descubro = I discover (the -o ending shows yo)
You would include yo mainly for emphasis or contrast:
- En español, yo también voy avanzando poco a poco…
Emphasis on I (maybe compared to someone else).
Since there’s no contrast here, leaving out yo is the natural choice in standard Spanish, including in Spain.