Si llegamos tarde a la pastelería, quizá no quede otra tarta para el cumpleaños.

If we arrive late at the pastry shop, there may not be another cake left for the birthday.

Breakdown of Si llegamos tarde a la pastelería, quizá no quede otra tarta para el cumpleaños.

• para: for
• nosotros: we
• tarde: late
• el cumpleaños: the birthday

Questions & Answers about Si llegamos tarde a la pastelería, quizá no quede otra tarta para el cumpleaños.

Why is it si llegamos and not si lleguemos?

After si for a real or possible future condition in Spanish, you normally use the present indicative, not the subjunctive.

So:

• Si llegamos tarde... = If we arrive late...

This is the standard pattern for likely conditions:

• Si tengo tiempo, voy.
• Si hace buen tiempo, salimos.

English often uses a present form here too: If we arrive late..., not If we will arrive late...

You would not say si lleguemos in this kind of sentence.

Why is quede in the subjunctive?

Quede is the present subjunctive of quedar.

It appears here because quizá expresses doubt or possibility, and the speaker is not presenting the result as a fact. So:

• quizá no quede otra tarta = maybe there won’t be another cake left

With quizá / quizás, both indicative and subjunctive are possible:

• Quizá no queda otra tarta → sounds more factual or more confident
• Quizá no quede otra tarta → sounds more uncertain or tentative

In this sentence, the subjunctive fits well because the speaker is guessing about a possible future situation.

What does quedar mean here?