Breakdown of No hace falta que compres otra estantería; la que ya tienes aún tiene espacio para tu sudadera.
Questions & Answers about No hace falta que compres otra estantería; la que ya tienes aún tiene espacio para tu sudadera.
Because hacer falta que is followed by the subjunctive when you talk about something that is unnecessary, wanted, doubted, recommended, etc.
So:
- No hace falta que compres... = You don’t need to buy...
- compres is the present subjunctive of comprar
This is very common in Spanish:
- Hace falta que vengas.
- No hace falta que lo hagas.
- Es importante que estudies.
English often uses an infinitive or a normal present form here, but Spanish usually switches to the subjunctive after expressions like this.
Yes. That version is also correct.
There is a small difference in structure:
- No hace falta que compres otra estantería = You don’t need to buy another shelf/bookcase
- No hace falta comprar otra estantería = There’s no need to buy another shelf/bookcase
The version with que + subjunctive addresses the listener more directly, because it includes the idea of you buying it.
The infinitive version is a little more general and impersonal.
Literally, hacer falta is something like to be needed or to be lacking/necessary.
Very common patterns are:
- Hace falta + noun
- Hace falta dinero. = Money is needed.
- Hace falta + infinitive
- Hace falta estudiar. = It’s necessary to study.
- Hace falta que + subjunctive
- Hace falta que estudies. = You need to study.
In your sentence, the negative form is used:
- No hace falta que compres... = There’s no need for you to buy...
Spanish uses this structure a lot where English would say need to, have to, or it’s necessary.
Because otro / otra normally replaces the indefinite article un / una.
So you say:
- otra estantería
- otro libro
- otra vez
Not:
- una otra estantería ❌
This is like English another, which already includes the idea of an + other.
So otra estantería = another shelf/bookcase.
In Spain, estantería usually means a shelving unit, bookcase, or set of shelves.
Related words:
- estante = a single shelf
- estantería = a shelf unit / shelving / bookcase
- armario = a cupboard / cabinet / wardrobe
So otra estantería suggests not just one shelf, but another shelving unit or piece of furniture with shelves.
La que ya tienes means the one that you already have.
This is a very common Spanish structure:
- el que... = the one that... (masculine singular)
- la que... = the one that... (feminine singular)
- los que... = the ones that... (masculine plural / mixed)
- las que... = the ones that... (feminine plural)
Here, la refers back to estantería, which is feminine:
- la que ya tienes = the shelf/bookcase that you already have
It avoids repeating the noun:
- la estantería que ya tienes = possible
- la que ya tienes = more natural because the noun is already clear
Because Spanish needs the article here to mean the one that...
Compare:
- la que ya tienes = the one that you already have
- que ya tienes by itself would just mean that you already have, and it would need something before it
So la is not optional here. It is doing the job of the one.
Ya means already here.
So:
- la que tienes = the one you have
- la que ya tienes = the one you already have
Adding ya emphasizes that the listener already owns one, so buying another one is unnecessary.
It often adds a slight sense of you’ve got one already, so that should be enough.
Here aún means still:
- aún tiene espacio = it still has space
In this sentence, aún and todavía are basically interchangeable:
- aún tiene espacio
- todavía tiene espacio
Both are very natural.
A small note:
- aún with an accent often means still / yet
- aun without an accent often means even / including
But in everyday writing, many learners will mainly need to remember that aún = todavía in sentences like this one.
Because the sentence is talking about the space inside that specific shelf/bookcase.
- la que ya tienes aún tiene espacio = the one you already have still has space
This treats the shelf/bookcase as the thing that has space.
You could also say something with hay, but the structure would change:
- En la estantería que ya tienes aún hay espacio...
That means:
- There is still space in the shelf/bookcase you already have
Both are correct. The original sentence is simply more direct and compact.
Because espacio para means space for.
Examples:
- espacio para ropa = space for clothes
- espacio para libros = space for books
- espacio para tu sudadera = space for your sweatshirt/hoodie
You could also make the idea more explicit:
- tiene espacio para guardar tu sudadera
But Spanish often leaves guardar unstated because it is obvious from context.
Spanish can be very specific in examples like this. Tu sudadera means your sweatshirt / hoodie.
The singular is perfectly natural if the sentence is referring to one item in particular. It may simply be an example of something that still fits on the shelf.
If the context were about more clothing in general, Spanish could also say:
- para tu ropa = for your clothes
- para tus sudaderas = for your sweatshirts/hoodies
So the singular here is not a grammar issue; it just reflects the specific situation.
In Spain, sudadera usually means sweatshirt and can also refer to a hoodie, depending on context.
If you want to be very specific:
- sudadera = sweatshirt / hoodie
- sudadera con capucha = hoodie
In everyday use, though, many people just say sudadera.
Those would change the meaning.
- No hace falta que compres otra estantería = You don’t need to buy another shelf/bookcase
- Cómprate otra estantería = Buy yourself another shelf/bookcase
- Deberías comprar otra estantería = You should buy another shelf/bookcase
So the original sentence is specifically saying that buying another one is not necessary.
The semicolon separates two closely connected ideas:
- No hace falta que compres otra estantería
- la que ya tienes aún tiene espacio para tu sudadera
It works like a stronger pause than a comma, but not as strong as a full stop.
A comma is also often seen in less formal writing, and a full stop would also be possible:
- No hace falta que compres otra estantería. La que ya tienes...
The semicolon is just a neat way to link the explanation to the first statement.
Both are possible, but aún tiene espacio sounds more natural and neutral in modern Spanish.
Spanish word order is flexible, but some positions sound more idiomatic than others. With adverbs like aún / todavía, it is very common to place them before the verb:
- aún tiene espacio
- todavía tiene espacio
You may sometimes see tiene aún espacio, but it is less common and can sound slightly more literary or marked.
Yes, and the meaning would be very similar:
- No hace falta que compres otra estantería
- No necesitas comprar otra estantería
The main difference is tone:
- No hace falta que... sounds a bit more impersonal and softer
- No necesitas... is more direct: you don’t need...
Both are correct and common.