Breakdown of Aunque tenemos competidores, él prometió que adquiriríamos el negocio.
él
he
tener
to have
el negocio
the business
que
that / than
prometer
to promise
aunque
although / even though
adquirir
to acquire
el competidor
the competitor
Questions & Answers about Aunque tenemos competidores, él prometió que adquiriríamos el negocio.
Why is adquiriríamos in the conditional tense here instead of the future tense?
This is an example of reported speech. His original words were likely a promise in the future tense, such as we will acquire the business (adquiriremos). Because we are now reporting what he said using a past-tense verb (él prometió), the future tense shifts into the conditional tense (adquiriríamos).
Why do we use the present indicative tenemos after aunque? Shouldn't it trigger the subjunctive?
Aunque only triggers the subjunctive when referring to something hypothetical or unconfirmed. Because having competitors is a known, stated fact in this context, we use the indicative (tenemos). If the speaker meant even if we were to have competitors, they would use the subjunctive (tengamos).
Is it strictly necessary to include the pronoun él before prometió?
While Spanish often drops subject pronouns, prometió can mean he promised, she promised, or you promised (formal). Including él clarifies exactly who made the promise, and it can also add a slight emphasis to the subject.
What is the infinitive of adquiriríamos and why does it have an accent mark?
The infinitive is adquirir (to acquire). For the nosotros form of the conditional tense, the ending is always -íamos with a written accent on the i. This accent mark ensures the stress falls on the correct syllable, breaking what would otherwise be a natural diphthong.
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