Question 1

Why is terminen in the subjunctive if there is no verb of emotion here?

Accepted Answer

You are currently learning how emotions trigger the subjunctive, but time words like cuando (when) are another common trigger. You must use the subjunctive (terminen) after cuando anytime the action is in the future and hasn't actually happened yet.

Question 2

Why is it al equipo instead of just el equipo?

Accepted Answer

Al is a mandatory contraction of a + el. The preposition a is needed here because of the personal a rule. While we normally use the personal a for specific individuals, collective nouns made up of people (like an equipo) also require it when they are the direct object of a verb like felicitar (to congratulate).

Question 3

How do we know who is supposed to congratulate the team?

Accepted Answer

The verb feliciten is an ustedes (you all) command. In Latin American Spanish, this is the standard way to tell a group of people to do something. Because the speaker is addressing a group, they continue using the ustedes form for terminen later in the sentence.

Question 4

Could terminen mean 'they finish' here instead of 'you finish'?

Accepted Answer

Grammatically, terminen is the form for both ustedes (you all) and ellos/ellas (they). However, the command feliciten sets the context that the speaker is talking directly to a group. If the speaker meant 'when they finish the game', they would almost certainly include the pronoun ellos (cuando ellos terminen) to avoid confusion.

Feliciten al equipo cuando terminen el partido.

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