Learn Spanish (Latin America): Si la pantalla se bloquea, el profesor presiona el botón. - If the screen freezes, the teacher presses the button.

Si la pantalla se bloquea, el profesor presiona el botón.

If the screen freezes, the teacher presses the button.

Breakdown of Si la pantalla se bloquea, el profesor presiona el botón.

to freeze (computers, devices)

Questions & Answers about Si la pantalla se bloquea, el profesor presiona el botón.

Why are both verbs (bloquea and presiona) in the present tense?

This is a real conditional sentence, used for things that generally happen. In Spanish, just like in English, you can use the present tense in both halves of the sentence to show a factual cause and effect: If X happens (Si la pantalla se bloquea), Y happens (el profesor presiona...).

Why is there a se before bloquea?

Bloquear normally means 'to block' or 'to lock.' By adding the reflexive pronoun se, it becomes bloquearse. For electronics, this translates to 'freezing,' 'crashing,' or 'locking up.' The se shows that the screen is undergoing this change itself, rather than blocking something else.

Can se bloquea also mean the screen 'locks' normally?

Yes! Depending on the context, la pantalla se bloquea can mean the screen freezes (stops working) or that it simply locks itself (like a smartphone screen timing out and going to the lock screen). Both are completely natural translations.

Do I always need the comma after the Si part of the sentence?

You need a comma when you start the sentence with Si (If) to separate the condition from the result. However, you can also flip the order: El profesor presiona el botón si la pantalla se bloquea. When the si part comes second, you drop the comma.