Word
El guepardo es veloz; capaz que lo veas correr por la sabana.
Meaning
The cheetah is fast; you might see him running through the savanna.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of El guepardo es veloz; capaz que lo veas correr por la sabana.
ser
to be
ver
to see / to look / appear
correr
to run
que
that / than
Questions & Answers about El guepardo es veloz; capaz que lo veas correr por la sabana.
Why does the Spanish use the infinitive correr (to run) when the English translation says "running"?
With verbs of physical perception like ver (to see) or escuchar (to hear), you can follow them with either the infinitive (correr) or the gerund (corriendo). Using the infinitive focuses on the action as a whole, while the gerund focuses on the action in progress. English almost always uses the "-ing" form for this, but Spanish lets you use the infinitive!
Since there is an infinitive, could I attach the pronoun to it and say "veas correrlo" instead of "lo veas correr"?
Not in this case! While you can normally attach pronouns to the end of infinitives (like quiero comerlo), verbs of perception work differently. Because the cheetah (lo) is the one doing the running, the pronoun acts as the direct object of the perception verb (veas). Therefore, it must go right before the conjugated verb: lo veas correr.
Why is the verb veas in the subjunctive mood instead of the indicative ves?
It is triggered by the phrase capaz que. In many parts of Latin America, capaz que is a common, colloquial way to say "maybe," "might," or "it's possible that." Because it expresses uncertainty or a mere possibility rather than a declared fact, it requires the subjunctive mood (veas).
Quick refresher: why do we use por instead of para for "through the savanna"?