Log inSign up

Antes de la entrevista, mi hermana quiere lavarse el pelo.

Antes de la entrevista, mi hermana quiere lavarse el pelo.
Before the interview, my sister wants to wash her hair.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Spanish grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Spanish now

Questions & Answers about Antes de la entrevista, mi hermana quiere lavarse el pelo.

Why is it antes de la entrevista and not just antes la entrevista?

Because antes normally needs de before a noun.

  • antes de la entrevista = before the interview
  • antes de comer = before eating

So in this sentence, de links antes to the thing that comes after it.

A useful pattern is:

  • antes de + noun
  • antes de + infinitive
  • antes de que + subjunctive if there is a new subject

Examples:

  • antes de la clase
  • antes de salir
  • antes de que llegue mi hermana
Why is there a comma after Antes de la entrevista?

It is there because Antes de la entrevista is an introductory phrase.

In Spanish, a comma after a short introductory phrase is often optional, but it is very common to use one for clarity. So both of these are acceptable:

  • Antes de la entrevista, mi hermana quiere lavarse el pelo.
  • Antes de la entrevista mi hermana quiere lavarse el pelo.

The version with the comma feels a little clearer in writing.

Why does the sentence use quiere lavarse?

Because quiere means wants, and after querer Spanish normally uses an infinitive for the action wanted.

So the structure is:

  • querer + infinitive

Examples:

  • quiere comer = she wants to eat
  • quiere dormir = she wants to sleep
  • quiere lavarse = she wants to wash herself / wash her hair

Here, lavarse is the infinitive lavar with the reflexive pronoun attached.

Why is it lavarse? What does se mean here?

Lavarse is a reflexive verb form. The se shows that the action is done to oneself.

So:

  • lavar = to wash something
  • lavarse = to wash oneself

In this sentence, se refers to mi hermana. She wants to wash her own hair.

Compare:

  • Mi hermana quiere lavar el coche. = My sister wants to wash the car.
  • Mi hermana quiere lavarse. = My sister wants to wash herself.
Why is the reflexive pronoun attached to the end of lavarse instead of placed before quiere?

With a conjugated verb plus an infinitive, Spanish usually gives you two correct options for object or reflexive pronouns.

So both of these are correct:

  • Mi hermana quiere lavarse el pelo.
  • Mi hermana se quiere lavar el pelo.

They mean the same thing.

What is not correct is:

  • Mi hermana quiere se lavar el pelo.

The pronoun can go:

  1. attached to the infinitive: lavarse
  2. before the conjugated verb: se quiere lavar
Why does Spanish say el pelo instead of su pelo?

This is a very common Spanish pattern with body parts.

When the owner is already clear, Spanish usually uses:

  • a reflexive pronoun
  • plus the definite article

So Spanish prefers:

  • lavarse el pelo
  • lavarse las manos
  • cepillarse los dientes

rather than:

  • lavarse su pelo
  • lavarse sus manos
  • cepillarse sus dientes

English uses possessives more often here, but Spanish usually does not.

So mi hermana quiere lavarse el pelo literally looks like my sister wants to wash herself the hair, but the natural English meaning is my sister wants to wash her hair.

Could you also say cabello instead of pelo?

Yes, but pelo is the more natural everyday word in this sentence.

  • pelo = hair, very common in everyday speech
  • cabello = hair, but often sounds a bit more formal, descriptive, or literary

So:

  • lavarse el pelo sounds very natural
  • lavarse el cabello is correct, but less everyday

In Spain, pelo is especially common in normal conversation.

Why is it la entrevista? Is entrevista feminine?

Yes. Entrevista is a feminine noun, so it takes feminine articles and adjectives.

  • la entrevista
  • una entrevista
  • la entrevista importante

That is why the sentence says la entrevista, not el entrevista.

Could this mean any kind of interview, or specifically a job interview?

By itself, entrevista can mean different kinds of interview:

  • a job interview
  • a media interview
  • an interview with someone in general

In everyday context, Antes de la entrevista often suggests before the interview, and many learners will understand that as a job interview if the situation points that way. The exact type depends on context.

Can the sentence be reordered as Mi hermana quiere lavarse el pelo antes de la entrevista?

Yes, absolutely.

Both are correct:

  • Antes de la entrevista, mi hermana quiere lavarse el pelo.
  • Mi hermana quiere lavarse el pelo antes de la entrevista.

The meaning is basically the same. The first version puts the time phrase first, so it gives a little more emphasis to before the interview.

Why is it mi hermana and not la mi hermana?

Because in standard Spanish, possessive adjectives like mi, tu, su, nuestro, etc. normally replace the article.

So you say:

  • mi hermana
  • mi casa
  • tu libro

not:

  • la mi hermana
  • la mi casa
  • el tu libro

For an English speaker, it helps to think of mi as already doing the job of my, so no extra article is needed.