Learn Spanish (Latin America): Capaz que si apuntas el telescopio hacia esa constelación, ves algo. - Maybe if you point the telescope toward that constellation, you'll see something.

Word

Capaz que si apuntas el telescopio hacia esa constelación, ves algo.

Meaning

Maybe if you point the telescope toward that constellation, you'll see something.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Spanish (Latin America)

Lesson

Colloquial probability (capaz que)

Breakdown of Capaz que si apuntas el telescopio hacia esa constelación, ves algo.

ver

to see / to look / appear

Questions & Answers about Capaz que si apuntas el telescopio hacia esa constelación, ves algo.

Why use capaz que instead of tal vez for "maybe"?

Capaz que is a very common, colloquial way to say "maybe" or "perhaps" in many parts of Latin America (especially in the Southern Cone like Argentina and Chile). You can use it interchangeably with tal vez or quizás in casual conversation.

I learned that capaz que can trigger the subjunctive. Why is the main verb ves in the indicative here?

Capaz que can actually take either the indicative or the subjunctive. Using the indicative (ves) makes the possibility feel more likely or factual to the speaker. If the speaker felt more doubtful about whether you'd see something, they could use the subjunctive and say capaz que... veas algo.

Since capaz que adds doubt to the sentence, can I use the subjunctive for the "if" part and say si apuntes?

No, you can never use the present subjunctive right after si (if) in Spanish. Even if the rest of the sentence expresses doubt, a likely or possible "if" condition always takes the present indicative (si apuntas).

The English translation says "you'll see", but ves is present tense. Why not use the future tense verás?