Question 1

Why is the word tan used in the phrase ¡Qué pantalla tan mala!?

Accepted Answer

In Spanish exclamations, when you want to use both a noun and an adjective, the standard formula is qué + [noun] + tan + [adjective]. It structurally works like "What a screen so bad!" You can also use más instead of tan here (¡Qué pantalla más mala!) with exactly the same meaning.

Question 2

I thought parpadear meant "to blink". Can it be used for electronics?

Accepted Answer

Yes! While parpadear literally refers to blinking your eyes, it is the standard verb in Spanish for lights, screens, or even candles that "flicker" or "blink" on and off.

Question 3

How could we use the concessive phrase y eso que (and that's even though) to complain about this situation?

Accepted Answer

If you wanted to express annoyance that the screen is bad despite having updated it, you could say: Parpadea mucho, y eso que instalé la actualización (It flickers a lot, and that's even though I installed the update). Remember that y eso que always triggers the indicative mood (like instalé), because it introduces an established fact rather than a hypothetical scenario.

Question 4

If I wanted to say "after updating" instead of "after the update", could I say después de actualizando?

Accepted Answer

No, and this is a common trap for English speakers! In English, we frequently use "-ing" verbs after prepositions, but Spanish never uses the -ando/-iendo gerund this way. After a preposition like de, you must use either a noun (like la actualización) or the infinitive form of the verb (después de actualizar).

¡Qué pantalla tan mala! Parpadea mucho después de la actualización.

Breakdown of ¡Qué pantalla tan mala! Parpadea mucho después de la actualización.

Questions & Answers about ¡Qué pantalla tan mala! Parpadea mucho después de la actualización.

Learn ¡Qué pantalla tan mala! Parpadea mucho después de la actualización and more in Spanish