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El nudo es muy útil cuando el terreno es empinado.

El nudo es muy útil cuando el terreno es empinado.
The knot is very useful when the terrain is steep.
From Lesson 167:Hypothetical situations (aunque)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about El nudo es muy útil cuando el terreno es empinado.

Why do we use the indicative es after cuando here, instead of the subjunctive?
Even though this lesson focuses on the subjunctive for hypothetical situations, cuando only takes the subjunctive when it refers to a future or uncompleted event. Because this sentence describes a general fact that is always true, we use the indicative es.
Why does the sentence use es instead of está for es empinado (is steep)?
We use es (from the verb ser) because being steep is an inherent physical characteristic of the terrain. If we were talking about a temporary state, we would use estar, but the shape of the land is treated as a permanent trait here.
Does the adjective útil change if the noun is feminine?
No. Adjectives that end in a consonant like -l do not change for gender. Whether you are describing el nudo (masculine) or la herramienta (feminine), it remains útil. You only add -es to make it plural (útiles).
Besides a knot in a rope, does nudo have other meanings?
Yes! Just like in English, nudo can also refer to a knot in your throat from emotion (un nudo en la garganta) or a knot in a piece of wood. It is also the word used to describe the climax or main conflict in a story's plot.

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