Breakdown of ¿Vas a contratar a un candidato que tenga experiencia?
tener
to have
un
a, an (masculine)
ir
to go
que
that / than
contratar
to hire
el candidato
the candidate
la experiencia
the experience
a
personal 'a' (marks a human direct object)
Questions & Answers about ¿Vas a contratar a un candidato que tenga experiencia?
Why use the subjunctive tenga instead of the indicative tiene here?
We use the subjunctive tenga because the candidate is indefinite and might not exist yet. The speaker is asking about the qualifications needed for a future hire, rather than describing a specific person they have already met. When a descriptive phrase refers to someone or something that isn't specifically identified, Spanish requires the subjunctive.
Would it be wrong to use tiene in this sentence?
It wouldn't be grammatically wrong, but it would change the meaning! If you ask ¿Vas a contratar a un candidato que tiene experiencia?, the indicative tiene implies that you are talking about a specific, known candidate who definitely exists and has experience. By using tenga, you make it clear you are just asking about the general requirements for the open job.
Why do we need the word a before un candidato?
This is the personal a, which is used when the direct object of an action is a person. Even though we are talking about an indefinite candidate who might not exist yet, a candidate is still a human being, so we need the a to connect the verb contratar (to hire) to the person being hired.
Why does the sentence use vas a contratar instead of the future tense contratarás?
In everyday Latin American Spanish, using ir a plus an infinitive verb (like vas a contratar, meaning you are going to hire) is the most natural and common way to talk about future plans. The actual future tense contratarás is understood perfectly but sounds much more formal or dramatic.
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