Breakdown of Limpio la casa para que estés cómodo.
la casa
the house
estar
to be (location/state)
para
for
que
that / than
Questions & Answers about Limpio la casa para que estés cómodo.
Why is estés used here instead of the regular present tense estás?
The phrase para que (so that) is used to express the purpose of an action. Whenever you use para que, it triggers the subjunctive mood in the verb that follows because the outcome is a goal or intention, not a guaranteed fact. That is why we use the subjunctive estés instead of the indicative estás.
Could I just say para estar cómodo without the que?
No, because the person cleaning and the person getting comfortable are two different people! You use para + infinitive (like para estar) only when the subject stays the same (for example, Limpio la casa para estar cómodo means I am cleaning the house so that I am comfortable). When there is a change of subject (I clean so that you are comfortable), you must use para que + subjunctive.
Why do we use a form of estar (estés) rather than ser (seas) for comfortable?
We use estar because being comfortable is a physical state or temporary feeling, not a permanent characteristic of a person. When talking about a person feeling comfortable, you will always use estar.
The English translation says 'I am cleaning', but limpio is the simple present. Why isn't it estoy limpiando?