Question 1

Since ella canta is in the present tense, why is hechizara in the past (imperfect) subjunctive?

Accepted Answer

The phrase como si (as if) always triggers the subjunctive because it introduces a hypothetical or unreal situation. When this hypothetical comparison happens at the same time as the main verb (she is singing right now, but she isn't actually bewitching the forest), we must use the imperfect subjunctive (hechizara). It works very much like the English "She sings as if she were bewitching..."

Question 2

Could I use the other form of the imperfect subjunctive, hechizase, in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, ella canta como si hechizase is grammatically correct and means exactly the same thing. However, in Latin America, the -ra ending (hechizara) is much more common in everyday spoken Spanish than the -se ending.

Question 3

What is the infinitive of hechizara, and why doesn't the z change to a c here?

Accepted Answer

The infinitive is hechizar (to bewitch). In Spanish spelling rules, a z changes to a c only before the letters e or i (for example, in the preterite: yo hechicé). Because the imperfect subjunctive endings for -ar verbs start with a (like -ara), the z keeps its original spelling.

Question 4

Both hechizara and encantado relate to magic here. What is the difference between them?

Accepted Answer

Hechizar is an active verb meaning to bewitch or to cast a spell on something. Encantado is used here as an adjective meaning enchanted or magical. While you likely know encantar from everyday phrases like me encanta (I love it), in this specific context it carries its literal, fairy-tale meaning of a forest being under a magic spell.

Ella canta como si hechizara este bosque encantado.

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