Si deja de caer granizo, iremos al parque para ver si todavía se ve el arcoíris.

Questions & Answers about Si deja de caer granizo, iremos al parque para ver si todavía se ve el arcoíris.

Why is it si deja and not si deje?

Because after si for a real or likely future condition, Spanish normally uses the present indicative, not the subjunctive.

So:

  • Si deja de caer granizo, iremos... = a real possibility
  • Si dejara / dejase de caer granizo, iríamos... = more hypothetical or less likely

English often uses if it stops, and Spanish matches that with the indicative: si deja.

Why is the main verb iremos in the future?

Because the sentence is talking about what will happen if the condition is met.

The pattern here is very common:

So:

  • Si deja de caer granizo, iremos al parque.

Spanish can sometimes use the present for near-future meaning in everyday speech:

  • Si deja de caer granizo, vamos al parque.

But iremos is very clear and standard.

What does dejar de + infinitive mean?

Dejar de + infinitive means to stop doing something.

Here:

  • dejar de caer = to stop falling
  • deja de caer granizo = hail stops falling

It is a very useful structure:

  • dejar de llover = to stop raining
  • dejar de hablar = to stop talking
  • dejar de fumar = to quit smoking / stop smoking
Why does it say caer granizo instead of using a weather verb like granizar?

Spanish can express this idea in more than one natural way.

This sentence uses:

  • caer granizo = literally, hail falls

You could also hear:

  • si deja de granizar
  • si para de granizar

All are understandable.
Dejar de caer granizo sounds descriptive and natural, especially if you want to focus on the hailstones physically falling.

Why is there no article before granizo?

Because in weather expressions, Spanish often uses the noun without an article when speaking generally.

So:

  • cae granizo
  • cae nieve
  • cae ceniza

Here granizo is being treated like a general weather substance, not a specific batch of hail.

If you were talking about specific hail, you might use the article:

  • El granizo que cayó ayer dañó los coches.
Why is it al parque and not a el parque?

Because a + el contracts to al.

So:

  • ir a el parqueir al parque

This contraction is required in standard Spanish, except when El is part of a proper name:

  • Voy a El Escorial.

Here, parque is just a common noun, so it must be:

  • al parque
Why is there a second si in para ver si? Is it another condition?

No. The second si does not mean a condition here. It means whether / if in an indirect question.

So:

  • Si deja de caer granizo... = conditional if
  • para ver si todavía se ve el arcoíris = to see whether you can still see the rainbow

This is a very common difference in Spanish:

  • No sé si viene. = I don’t know if / whether he’s coming.
  • Si viene, hablamos. = If he comes, we’ll talk.

Same word, different function.

What does todavía add here?

Todavía means still here.

So it suggests the rainbow may already be fading or may disappear soon:

  • ver si todavía se ve = to see if it’s still visible

A very close alternative is aún:

  • para ver si aún se ve el arcoíris

In many contexts, todavía and aún are interchangeable, though todavía is often more common in everyday speech.

Why is it se ve el arcoíris instead of vemos el arcoíris?

Because se ve makes the sentence more impersonal or general.

Here, se ve el arcoíris means something like:

  • the rainbow can still be seen
  • you can still see the rainbow
  • the rainbow is still visible

It is not saying specifically we see the rainbow. It is expressing whether the rainbow is visible in general.

This se is very common in Spanish for general statements:

  • Aquí se come bien. = You eat well here / The food is good here.
  • No se ve nada. = You can’t see anything.
Why is the verb ve singular in se ve el arcoíris?

Because the thing being seen is el arcoíris, which is singular.

So:

  • se ve el arcoíris = singular
  • se ven las montañas = plural

Even though English might use a structure like you can see..., Spanish is agreeing the verb with what is visible:

  • el arcoírisve
  • los arcoírisven
Why does arcoíris take the article el?

Because in this sentence it refers to a specific, identifiable thing: the rainbow that has appeared after the hail.

Spanish often uses the definite article where English does too:

  • el sol
  • la luna
  • el arcoíris

Also, arcoíris is normally masculine:

  • el arcoíris

A useful extra note: arcoíris usually stays the same in the plural:

  • el arcoíris
  • los arcoíris
Could todavía go somewhere else in the sentence?

Yes. Its position is somewhat flexible.

The original:

Other possible placements:

  • para ver si se ve todavía el arcoíris
  • para ver si el arcoíris todavía se ve

The original version sounds very natural and probably the most neutral.
Putting todavía earlier often makes the idea of still feel slightly more prominent.

Is this sentence formal or everyday Spanish?

It sounds completely natural and standard. It is not especially formal.

A more conversational version might be:

Differences:

  • vamos instead of iremos = a bit more conversational
  • a ver si instead of para ver si = very common in speech

But the original sentence is perfectly normal and idiomatic.

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