Question 1

How does a propósito work here, and could I use por cierto instead?

Accepted Answer

A propósito means "speaking of which" or "by the way." It is used to introduce a new topic that is slightly related to what was just being discussed. You could absolutely use por cierto here; they are highly interchangeable when used as digressive discourse markers to shift the conversation.

Question 2

Doesn't a propósito usually mean "on purpose"?

Accepted Answer

Yes! A propósito can mean "on purpose" or "intentionally" (like in lo hizo a propósito). However, when placed at the beginning of a sentence or clause as a discourse marker, it almost always translates to "by the way" or "speaking of which."

Question 3

Why is it nos ponemos (present tense) instead of nos pondremos (future tense)?

Accepted Answer

In Spanish, the present indicative is frequently used to make plans or talk about the near future, much like saying "when are we catching up?" instead of "when will we catch up?" in English. Using the present tense makes the proposed plan feel more immediate and concrete.

Question 4

What does the phrase ponerse al día literally mean?

Accepted Answer

It literally translates to "to put oneself to the day." It is the standard Spanish idiom for "to catch up" on news, gossip, or work. The nos here makes it reciprocal, so nos ponemos al día essentially means "we bring each other up to date."

A propósito, ¿cuándo nos ponemos al día?

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