Breakdown of Es extraño que hayas resuelto el acertijo sin la lupa.
ser
to be
que
that / than
extraño
strange
haber
(auxiliary) have
resolver
to solve
sin
without
el acertijo
the riddle
la lupa
the magnifying glass
Questions & Answers about Es extraño que hayas resuelto el acertijo sin la lupa.
Why do we use hayas resuelto here instead of the normal present perfect has resuelto?
The phrase Es extraño que expresses a subjective reaction to a fact, which forces the following verb into the subjunctive mood. We use the present perfect subjunctive (hayas plus the past participle) to talk about an action that is already finished but still triggers an emotion right now.
Is resuelto an irregular past participle? I expected resolvido.
How do we know who solved the riddle if the word tú is missing?
The helper verb hayas is the present subjunctive form of haber that specifically goes with tú (informal you). Since that verb ending makes the subject obvious, the pronoun tú is left out naturally.
Could I use rompecabezas instead of acertijo here?
They are slightly different. An acertijo is a riddle, mystery, or brain-teaser based on logic or words. A rompecabezas is usually a physical jigsaw puzzle (literally a head-breaker).
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