Breakdown of Guardaron el hueso con cuidado, ya que es un fósil importante.
ser
to be
un
a, an (masculine)
con
with
importante
important
Questions & Answers about Guardaron el hueso con cuidado, ya que es un fósil importante.
Why do we use ya que instead of porque here?
Ya que translates to "since" or "seeing as." You could absolutely use porque (because) here, but ya que is a great choice when the reason you are giving is a logical justification for the action. It is often used when the reason might already be known to the listener, and it sounds just a bit more elevated than porque.
Why is es in the normal present tense instead of the subjunctive?
Connectors of cause like ya que and puesto que are followed by the indicative mood (normal tenses like es) because they declare a fact. You are stating the reality that it is an important fossil, not expressing doubt, emotion, or a hypothetical situation.
Doesn't guardaron mean "they guarded"?
It's a common false friend! While guardar can occasionally mean to guard, it almost always means "to put away," "to store," or "to keep." If you wanted to say "they guarded" in the sense of a security guard protecting something, you would use a verb like vigilar or proteger.
Could I use the word cuidadosamente instead of con cuidado?