Cuando seas adulto, vas a tener muchas responsabilidades.

Questions & Answers about Cuando seas adulto, vas a tener muchas responsabilidades.

Why does the sentence use seas instead of eres for "you are"?
Seas is the present subjunctive form of ser. In Spanish, when you use cuando (when) to talk about an event that hasn't happened yet, you must use the subjunctive. Even though in English we say "When you are an adult" (using the normal present tense), Spanish requires the subjunctive to show it is a future, anticipated event.
Why doesn't it say un adulto for "an adult"?
In Spanish, when you use the verb ser (to be) followed by a profession, nationality, or life status (like being an adult), you usually drop the article (un or una). You just say seas adulto unless you add a descriptive word, like un adulto responsable (a responsible adult).
Why is the second part of the sentence (vas a tener) not in the subjunctive?
The rule for using the subjunctive for future events only applies to the phrase right after cuando. The main part of the sentence tells us what will happen, so it uses a normal future structure. Here, it uses ir a + infinitive (vas a tener), meaning "you are going to have".
How do you form the plural of a word like responsabilidad?
For Spanish words that end in a consonant, like the d in responsabilidad, you make them plural by adding -es instead of just -s. That gives us responsabilidades.

Learn Cuando seas adulto, vas a tener muchas responsabilidades and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • Practice with interactive exercises
  • Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • Learn at your own pace — completely free