Breakdown of Si no pagas, como el inspector venga, vamos a tener un problema grave.
no
no, not
tener
to have
un
a, an (masculine)
el problema
the problem
ir
to go
pagar
to pay
venir
to come
si
if
grave
serious
como
if (as a warning/threat)
el inspector
the inspector
Questions & Answers about Si no pagas, como el inspector venga, vamos a tener un problema grave.
Why does this sentence use 'como el inspector venga' instead of 'si el inspector viene'?
Using como followed by the present subjunctive (here, venga) is a specific structure used to give a warning or make a threat. It translates to 'if' but carries a stronger sense of looming trouble than a standard si condition.
Why is the first verb pagas in the indicative mood, while venga is in the subjunctive?
In Spanish, si (meaning 'if' in a likely or realistic scenario) is always followed by the indicative mood, which gives us pagas. However, when como is used as a conditional warning, grammatical rules require it to take the subjunctive mood (venga).
Could I change the word order to como venga el inspector?
Why use grave instead of serio for a 'serious' problem?
While serio is often used for a person's personality or demeanor, grave is the most natural choice when describing situations, problems, mistakes, or injuries that are severe and have heavy consequences.
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