Breakdown of Es mejor que no corras si te persigue una abeja.
ser
to be
no
no, not
una
a, an (feminine)
mejor
better
correr
to run
que
that / than
te
to you / you (direct object)
si
if
perseguir
to chase
la abeja
bee
Questions & Answers about Es mejor que no corras si te persigue una abeja.
Why is it corras (subjunctive) and not corres (indicative)?
The phrase Es mejor que (It is better that) expresses an opinion or a recommendation. In Spanish, these impersonal expressions trigger the subjunctive mood in the following verb, which is why we use corras instead of the present indicative corres.
Since this lesson is about echarse a, could I say Es mejor que no te eches a correr here?
Yes, absolutely! The phrase echarse a + infinitive means to start doing something suddenly. Saying Es mejor que no te eches a correr changes the meaning slightly to 'It is better that you do not suddenly burst into a run.' The sentence above is just a more general 'It is better that you do not run.'
Why isn't persigue in the subjunctive too?
Even though the sentence starts with Es mejor que (which triggers the subjunctive corras), the second part is a conditional 'if' clause: si te persigue una abeja. In Spanish, we never use the present subjunctive immediately after si (if). Because it is a realistic, possible situation, it takes the normal present indicative.
Why does the subject come after the verb in te persigue una abeja?
Learn Es mejor que no corras si te persigue una abeja and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free