Breakdown of Cuando termine el mes, la mayoría de los usuarios tienen que renovar la suscripción.
de
from / of
tener
to have
los
the (masculine plural)
terminar
to finish / to end
que
that / than
el mes
the month
la
the (feminine)
cuando
when (statement)
renovar
to renew
la mayoría
the majority
el usuario
the user
la suscripción
the subscription
Questions & Answers about Cuando termine el mes, la mayoría de los usuarios tienen que renovar la suscripción.
Why is it tienen (plural) instead of tiene (singular) if the subject is la mayoría?
Even though la mayoría (the majority) is a singular noun, it is followed by a plural group: de los usuarios (of the users). In Spanish, when you have a phrase like la mayoría de or un grupo de followed by a plural noun, you can use either a singular verb (tiene) to match the collective word, or a plural verb (tienen) to match the group. The plural verb is very common because we naturally focus on the multiple users doing the action.
Why does the sentence use the subjunctive termine instead of the regular present tense termina?
The word cuando (when) triggers the subjunctive when it refers to an event that hasn't happened yet. Since the month hasn't ended yet, we use the subjunctive termine to show it's in the future. If it were a habitual action (like 'every time the month ends'), you would use the regular present tense termina.
Why doesn't the sentence say su suscripción (their subscription)?
In Spanish, it is very common to use a definite article like la (the) instead of a possessive adjective like su (their) when the context makes it obvious who the object belongs to. Since the users are the ones renewing, it's already understood that it is their subscription.
Is tienen que a special phrase here?
Yes, tener que followed by an infinitive verb (like renovar) is a set phrase meaning 'to have to' do something. Here, tienen que renovar translates to 'they have to renew,' which expresses an obligation or requirement.
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