El parabrisas estaba mojado, así que encendimos el limpiaparabrisas enseguida.

Because estaba is the imperfect, which is often used to describe a background situation or state in the past.

Here, El parabrisas estaba mojado sets the scene: the windshield was wet. That wetness is the situation that explains what happened next.

If you said estuvo mojado, it would sound more like you are viewing the wetness as a completed event or bounded state, which is much less natural in this context.

So in this sentence:

• estaba mojado = the windshield was wet
• encendimos el limpiaparabrisas = then we did a specific action

This is a very common contrast in Spanish: imperfect for description/background, preterite for the main action.

Encendimos is the preterite, because it refers to a completed action: we turned on the windshield wiper.

The sentence describes:

• a background condition: el parabrisas estaba mojado
• a reaction to that condition: encendimos el limpiaparabrisas

Using encendíamos would usually suggest a repeated action, an ongoing action, or something habitual in the past, which does not fit as well here.

So the tense choice is very natural:

• estaba = ongoing state
• encendimos = single completed action

Because mojado agrees with el parabrisas, which is a masculine singular noun.

In Spanish, adjectives usually agree in gender and number with the noun:

• el parabrisas mojado
• la ventana mojada
• los cristales mojados
• las ventanas mojadas

Since parabrisas is masculine singular, the adjective is mojado.

In this sentence, parabrisas is singular.

Some Spanish nouns end in -s even when they are singular. Parabrisas is one of them. The article tells you the number:

• el parabrisas = the windshield
• los parabrisas = the windshields

The same thing happens with limpiaparabrisas:

• el limpiaparabrisas = the windshield wiper
• los limpiaparabrisas = the windshield wipers

So even though the form ends in -s, it can still be singular.

Yes, both are normally treated as masculine nouns:

• el parabrisas
• el limpiaparabrisas

That is why the adjective is mojado, not mojada.

Compound nouns like limpiaparabrisas often behave as fixed words, and you simply learn their gender as part of the vocabulary item.

Así que means so, therefore, or so that means in this kind of sentence.

It connects a cause and a result:

• El parabrisas estaba mojado, así que encendimos el limpiaparabrisas.
• The windshield was wet, so we turned on the windshield wiper.

It is a very common and natural way to express consequence in everyday Spanish.

Other similar connectors are:

• por eso = for that reason / that’s why
• entonces = then / so

But así que fits very naturally when one situation leads directly to another.

Because Spanish often omits subject pronouns when the verb ending already makes the subject clear.

The ending -imos in encendimos tells you the subject is we.

So:

• encendimos = we turned on

Adding nosotros is possible, but usually unnecessary unless you want emphasis, contrast, or clarity.

For example:

• Encendimos el limpiaparabrisas. = neutral
• Nosotros encendimos el limpiaparabrisas. = more emphatic, like we turned it on

Yes. Encender can be used for turning on many things: lights, devices, engines, and systems.

So encender el limpiaparabrisas is understandable and natural.

Depending on context, Spanish speakers may also say things like:

• poner el limpiaparabrisas
• activar el limpiaparabrisas

But encender works well here because the idea is to switch it on.

Good question. Spanish can use el limpiaparabrisas as a general singular noun to refer to the windshield wiper system or the wiper as a function, not necessarily to count each blade individually.

In real life, you may also hear the plural:

• encendimos los limpiaparabrisas

That is also very natural, especially if you are thinking of the two blades.

So both singular and plural can make sense depending on how the speaker conceptualizes it.

Enseguida means right away, immediately, or straightaway.

In this sentence, it emphasizes that the action happened quickly in response to the wet windshield:

• encendimos el limpiaparabrisas enseguida = we turned on the windshield wiper right away

It is a very common adverb in Spanish.

Similar expressions include:

• inmediatamente = immediately
• al momento = right away
• de inmediato = immediately

Enseguida sounds very natural in everyday speech.

Because adverbs like enseguida are often flexible in Spanish.

These are all possible:

• Enseguida encendimos el limpiaparabrisas.
• Encendimos enseguida el limpiaparabrisas.
• Encendimos el limpiaparabrisas enseguida.

The final position is very natural and common. It often sounds smooth because the sentence first gives the action and then adds when/how quickly it happened.

Spanish uses the definite article more often than English does.

Here, both refer to specific, identifiable things in the situation:

• el parabrisas = the windshield of the car we are talking about
• el limpiaparabrisas = the windshield wiper of that same car

Even where English might sometimes be more flexible, Spanish often prefers the article when the object is known from context.

It is a compound noun:

• limpia = cleans / cleaner
• parabrisas = windshield

So limpiaparabrisas literally means something like windshield-cleaner.

Spanish has many compound words like this, especially for tools and devices. A lot of them stay the same in singular and plural form, or look identical in both:

• el abrelatas / los abrelatas
• el sacacorchos / los sacacorchos
• el limpiaparabrisas / los limpiaparabrisas

This is why the word may look unusual at first.

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly.

• mojado = wet
• húmedo = damp / moist

For a windshield with enough water on it that you turn on the wiper, mojado is the more natural choice. Húmedo sounds weaker, as if it is only slightly damp.

So mojado fits the action better.