Cuando compro algo, lo tacho enseguida de la lista de la compra.

When I buy something, I cross it off the shopping list right away.

Breakdown of Cuando compro algo, lo tacho enseguida de la lista de la compra.

• yo: I
• cuando: when
• algo: something
• comprar: to buy

Questions & Answers about Cuando compro algo, lo tacho enseguida de la lista de la compra.

Why is cuando compro algo in the present tense?

Because this sentence describes a habit or something the speaker usually does.

In Spanish, when cuando means whenever in a repeated situation, the present tense is normal:

• Cuando compro algo, lo tacho... = Whenever I buy something, I cross it off...

It is not talking about one single event in the future, but about a routine.

Why is there no yo before compro or tacho?

Spanish often omits subject pronouns when they are not needed. The verb ending already shows who the subject is:

• compro = I buy
• tacho = I cross off

So yo is understood. You could say Cuando yo compro algo, lo tacho..., but it sounds less natural unless you want emphasis.

What does tachar mean here?

Here tachar means to cross out or to cross off.

In the context of a shopping list, tachar algo de la lista means you mark an item as already bought, usually by drawing a line through it.

So:

• tachar una palabra = cross out a word
• tachar algo de la lista = cross something off the list

Why is it lo tacho and not la tacho?