Breakdown of Si vas tan deprisa por el pasillo, vas a chocar con alguien.
Questions & Answers about Si vas tan deprisa por el pasillo, vas a chocar con alguien.
Why is vas used twice in Si vas tan deprisa por el pasillo, vas a chocar con alguien?
Why does Spanish use si + present, and then vas a chocar instead of a future tense?
This is a very common real-condition pattern in Spanish:
- Si + present, present or ir a + infinitive
- Example: Si estudias, apruebas / Si estudias, vas a aprobar
In this sentence, the speaker is talking about a likely real consequence:
- If you go that fast down the corridor, you're going to bump into someone.
Spanish often prefers ir a + infinitive in everyday speech instead of the simple future (chocarás).
So vas a chocar sounds natural and conversational.
Could you also say Si vas tan deprisa por el pasillo, chocarás con alguien?
Yes. That is also correct.
- vas a chocar = very common, everyday, immediate-sounding
- chocarás = also correct, a bit more straightforwardly future
Both mean basically the same thing here. In normal spoken Spanish, vas a chocar is often more common.
What does tan mean here, and why not muy?
What is the difference between deprisa and rápido?
Both can express the idea of fast / quickly, but they work a little differently.
- deprisa is an adverb: quickly
- rápido can be an adjective (fast) and is also often used adverbially in everyday speech
So you could say:
- vas tan deprisa
- vas tan rápido
Both are natural.
Deprisa may feel a bit more clearly adverbial, while rápido is extremely common in speech.
In Spain, deprisa is very common.
Why is it por el pasillo and not en el pasillo?
Both can be possible in some contexts, but por is especially natural when talking about movement along / through / down a place.
- por el pasillo = down the corridor / along the corridor
- en el pasillo = in the corridor
Since the sentence describes someone moving through that space, por is the better choice here.
What exactly does chocar con alguien mean?
Chocar con alguien means to collide with someone / bump into someone physically.
Here it does not mean the English idiomatic run into someone meaning meet someone unexpectedly.
It means an actual physical collision.
- chocar con la pared = bump into the wall
- chocar con alguien = bump into someone
Why is con alguien used? Can alguien be used after a preposition like that?
Yes. Alguien means someone / somebody, and it can follow prepositions:
- con alguien = with someone
- para alguien = for someone
- de alguien = from someone / of someone
So chocar con alguien is completely normal.
Why isn’t it te vas a chocar?
Because chocar here is being used as a normal non-reflexive verb:
- chocar con alguien = to bump into someone
You may sometimes hear reflexive expressions in some varieties or specific contexts, but for this sentence, vas a chocar con alguien is the standard, natural choice.
Is si followed by a comma in Spanish?
Is this sentence using tú even though tú is not written?
Yes. The verb form vas tells you the subject is tú:
- (tú) vas
Spanish often leaves subject pronouns out when the verb already makes the subject clear.
So Si vas... naturally means If you go... or If you’re going...
Can vas here mean you’re walking rather than just you go?
Is deprisa more common in Spain than in Latin America?
Could the sentence be translated more naturally as If you run down the corridor like that, you’re going to bump into someone?
Yes. Even if the Spanish literally says go so fast, a more natural English translation may use:
- run
- rush
- go that fast
- move that quickly
That depends on context. The Spanish itself does not specifically say run (correr), but it strongly suggests rushing.
Can pasillo mean something other than corridor?
Yes. Pasillo usually means corridor / hallway / aisle, depending on context.
- in a house, school, or office: corridor / hallway
- in a shop or plane: aisle
In this sentence, corridor or hallway is the most likely meaning.
Is this sentence a warning?
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