Breakdown of El marcador está encima de la caja, pero todavía no lo he usado.
pero
but
no
no, not
estar
to be (location/state)
usar
to use / to wear
la caja
box
lo
it / him (direct object)
encima de
on top of
haber
(auxiliary) have
todavía
still / yet
el marcador
the marker
Questions & Answers about El marcador está encima de la caja, pero todavía no lo he usado.
Why do we use todavía no here, and can I just say no todavía like in English?
In Spanish, the standard phrase for 'not yet' is todavía no. You place it before the verb to express that an action hasn't happened up to this point in time, which is why it pairs perfectly with the present perfect (he usado). Translating 'not yet' word-for-word as no todavía sounds unnatural in Spanish.
Why is the word lo placed before he usado?
lo is a direct object pronoun meaning 'it', referring back to the masculine noun el marcador. In Spanish, these pronouns must go immediately before the conjugated verb. Since he is the conjugated helping verb here, lo goes right before it. Remember that you can never put a word between the helping verb (he) and the past participle (usado)!
What does encima de mean, and why do we need the word de?
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