Breakdown of Si no se fía usted de ese enlace, no lo abra y pregunte en la oficina.
Questions & Answers about Si no se fía usted de ese enlace, no lo abra y pregunte en la oficina.
Why is it se fía and not just fía?
Because the verb here is fiarse de, which means to trust or to rely on.
This is a pronominal verb, so it normally includes a pronoun:
- me fío
- te fías
- se fía
- nos fiamos
So si no se fía usted de ese enlace means if you do not trust that link.
Without se, fiar usually has other meanings, such as to sell on credit or to entrust something.
Why is there a de after fiarse?
Why is usted used here?
Why is usted placed after the verb in se fía usted?
Spanish word order is more flexible than English.
You could also say:
That is just as correct.
Putting usted after the verb can sound a bit more natural or less heavy in some contexts. Spanish often moves subject pronouns around because the verb already gives a lot of information.
So both are possible:
- si usted no se fía...
- si no se fía usted...
Could usted be omitted completely?
Yes, very often.
Spanish often leaves out subject pronouns when they are not needed. You could say:
That still works.
However, se fía could in isolation mean he/she/you (formal) trusts, so adding usted makes the intended subject extra clear. It can also reinforce the formal tone.
Why is it ese enlace and not este enlace?
Spanish has a three-way contrast with demonstratives:
- este = this, near the speaker
- ese = that, near the listener or already mentioned
- aquel = that over there, farther away from both
So ese enlace means that link.
In a sentence like this, ese often refers to a link the other person is looking at or has received. It is the natural choice for that link.
Why is there a lo in no lo abra?
Why does the pronoun come before the verb in no lo abra?
Because with a negative command, object pronouns go before the verb.
So:
- Ábralo. = Open it.
- No lo abra. = Don’t open it.
This is a very common pattern in Spanish:
- Hágalo. / No lo haga.
- Léalo. / No lo lea.
Why is it abra and pregunte instead of abre and pregunta?
Because these are usted commands, and usted commands use the present subjunctive form.
For the verb preguntar:
- tú command: pregunta
- usted command: pregunte
In this sentence:
- no lo abra = formal singular negative command
- pregunte en la oficina = formal singular affirmative command
So the forms show that the speaker is addressing one person formally.
Why is it pregunte en la oficina? Why en?
Here en la oficina means at the office or in the office.
The idea is ask there / ask at that place.
Spanish often uses preguntar en + place when you mean ask at a location:
- Pregunte en recepción. = Ask at reception.
- Pregunté en la tienda. = I asked at the shop.
If you say whom you ask, Spanish often uses a:
- Pregunte a la secretaria. = Ask the secretary.
So:
- preguntar en la oficina = ask at the office
- preguntar a alguien = ask someone
Why is there a comma after enlace?
Because the sentence begins with a conditional clause:
Spanish often uses a comma after an introductory si clause, especially when it comes before the main clause.
So the structure is:
- If you don’t trust that link, don’t open it and ask at the office.
The comma helps separate:
- the condition
- the main instruction
It is standard and natural here.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning SpanishMaster Spanish — from Si no se fía usted de ese enlace, no lo abra y pregunte en la oficina to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions