Learn Spanish (Latin America): Mientras sigas la regla, la moral es, en definitiva, simple. - As long as you follow the rule, morality is, ultimately, simple.

Mientras sigas la regla, la moral es, en definitiva, simple.

As long as you follow the rule, morality is, ultimately, simple.

Breakdown of Mientras sigas la regla, la moral es, en definitiva, simple.

while / the more/less (in proportional comparisons) / as long as

Questions & Answers about Mientras sigas la regla, la moral es, en definitiva, simple.

How exactly does en definitiva change the tone of this sentence, and could I use al fin y al cabo instead?

En definitiva means "ultimately," "in short," or "in conclusion." It signals that you are summarizing a situation or getting straight to the core point. You could definitely use al fin y al cabo ("at the end of the day") here, but en definitiva sounds slightly more analytical or logical, whereas al fin y al cabo often carries a tone of justification or resignation.

Why does mientras trigger the subjunctive (sigas) here instead of just meaning "while"?

When mientras is followed by the subjunctive, it translates to "as long as" or "provided that," setting a condition for the rest of the sentence. If you used the indicative here (mientras sigues), it would change the meaning to a strictly simultaneous action: "while you are currently following the rule."

Why is morality feminine (la moral) in this sentence?

The feminine noun la moral translates to "morality" or a system of ethics. This is a classic tricky word for learners because changing the article changes the meaning entirely: el moral (masculine) refers to "morale" (like a team's level of confidence or spirits) or a blackberry bush.

Is it required to put en definitiva between commas?