Learn Spanish (Latin America): Pongo el traje de baño en la bolsa por si nadamos. - I am putting the swimsuit in the bag in case we swim.

Pongo el traje de baño en la bolsa por si nadamos.

I am putting the swimsuit in the bag in case we swim.

Breakdown of Pongo el traje de baño en la bolsa por si nadamos.

Questions & Answers about Pongo el traje de baño en la bolsa por si nadamos.

Wait, it's not guaranteed that we will swim. Why is nadamos in the present indicative instead of the subjunctive?

This is a special rule for por si (in case). Even though the action is uncertain, por si is always followed by the indicative when talking about present or future possibilities. You will never use the present subjunctive right after por si.

Could I use por si acaso instead of just por si in this sentence?

Yes! You can say por si acaso nadamos, and it means the exact same thing. Adding acaso just gives it a slightly stronger feeling, much like saying "just in case" instead of "in case" in English.

The English translation says "I am putting," but the Spanish uses the simple present pongo. Shouldn't it be estoy poniendo?

In Spanish, the simple present (pongo) is frequently used for actions happening right now, especially when casually stating what you are doing. You could use the present progressive (estoy poniendo), but Spanish relies on it much less than English does.

I always forget the conjugation for poner. Why is it pongo and not "pono"?