Breakdown of Hago una lista de la compra en el móvil y luego tacho lo que ya tengo en casa.
Questions & Answers about Hago una lista de la compra en el móvil y luego tacho lo que ya tengo en casa.
Why is it Hago and not Estoy haciendo?
Hago is the present simple, and in Spanish it is very often used for habitual actions or things you normally do.
So Hago una lista de la compra... means something like:
- I make a shopping list...
- I make myself a shopping list...
- I usually make a shopping list...
If you said Estoy haciendo una lista de la compra, that would sound more like you are doing it right now at this moment.
So:
- Hago... = general habit / usual routine
- Estoy haciendo... = happening right now
Why does Spanish say hacer una lista instead of using a verb like write?
In Spanish, hacer una lista is the normal way to say make a list. It works just like English.
- hacer una lista = to make a list
- escribir una lista = to write a list
Both are possible, but hacer una lista is the most natural general expression here. It focuses on creating the list, not just physically writing it.
What exactly does lista de la compra mean, and is it specific to Spain?
Yes, lista de la compra is very common in Spain and means shopping list or more specifically grocery shopping list.
In Spain:
- la compra often means the groceries / the food shopping
- hacer la compra = to do the grocery shopping
So una lista de la compra is literally a list for the shopping.
In Latin America, you may hear other expressions too, such as:
- lista de compras
- lista del supermercado
But for Spain, lista de la compra is very natural.
Why is it de la compra and not just de compra?
Because la compra here is a set expression in Spain meaning the grocery shopping.
So:
- lista de la compra = the standard expression
- hacer la compra = to do the grocery shopping
Spanish often uses the definite article in expressions where English does not. So even though English says shopping list, Spanish commonly says list of the shopping.
Why is it en el móvil instead of en mi móvil?
Spanish often uses the definite article instead of a possessive when it is already obvious whose thing it is.
So:
- en el móvil = on my phone / on the phone, depending on context
- en mi móvil = on my phone, but with extra emphasis on my
In this sentence, it is already clear the speaker means their own phone, so en el móvil sounds very natural.
This is very common in Spanish:
- Me duele la cabeza = My head hurts
- Tengo el móvil en la mesa = My phone is on the table
What does tacho mean here?
Tacho is the first person singular of tachar.
- tachar = to cross out, to strike through, to tick off depending on context
- tacho = I cross out / I tick off
In this sentence, it means the speaker crosses off items from the shopping list once they realize they already have them at home.
So:
- luego tacho lo que ya tengo en casa = then I cross off what I already have at home
Could I use borro instead of tacho?
Sometimes, but it changes the idea a bit.
- tachar = to cross out an item but still leave it visible
- borrar = to erase or delete it
With a shopping list, tachar suggests you mark items off the list, which is exactly what people often do. Since the list is on the phone, in real life someone might indeed delete items, but tachar still sounds perfectly natural because it reflects the familiar idea of crossing items off a list.
Why does it say lo que ya tengo en casa? What is lo que doing here?
Lo que here means what or the things that.
So:
- tacho lo que ya tengo en casa = I cross off what I already have at home
- more literally: I cross off the things that I already have at home
This lo que structure is very useful in Spanish when referring to an unspecified thing or set of things.
Compare:
- No entiendo lo que dices = I don’t understand what you’re saying
- Cojo lo que necesito = I take what I need
Here, lo que ya tengo en casa refers to the items on the list that the speaker already has.
Why is it ya tengo? What does ya add?
Ya means already here.
So:
- tengo = I have
- ya tengo = I already have
It shows that the items are already in the house, so there is no need to buy them.
In Spanish, ya is very common and can have slightly different meanings depending on context, but here it is a straightforward already.
Why is there no yo in tengo or hago?
Because Spanish usually does not need subject pronouns when the verb ending already shows who the subject is.
- hago = I do / I make
- tacho = I cross out
- tengo = I have
The -o ending already tells you the subject is I, so yo is normally omitted.
You could say:
- Yo hago una lista...
but that would usually add emphasis or contrast, such as:
- Yo hago una lista, pero mi hermano no.
I make a list, but my brother doesn’t.
Why is it en casa and not en la casa?
En casa is a very common fixed expression meaning at home.
So:
- estoy en casa = I’m at home
- tengo comida en casa = I have food at home
If you say en la casa, it usually sounds more like in the house/building as a physical location, not the general idea of home.
So here:
- en casa = natural, because it means at home
What is the role of luego in the sentence?
Luego means then, afterwards, or later.
It shows the sequence of actions:
- Hago una lista de la compra en el móvil
- y luego tacho lo que ya tengo en casa
So the speaker first makes the list, and then crosses off the things they already have.
In Spain, luego is very common for this kind of sequencing.
Is the whole sentence especially Spanish from Spain?
Yes, it sounds very natural for Spain, especially because of:
- el móvil = mobile phone / cell phone in Spain
(many Latin American countries prefer celular) - la compra / lista de la compra = very typical in Spain
The grammar itself is standard Spanish, but some vocabulary choices are especially associated with Spain.
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