Breakdown of A veces me enojaba que el amplificador no funcionara.
no
no, not
que
that / than
me
to me / me (direct object)
a veces
sometimes
funcionar
to work / to function (machines, devices)
enojar
to anger
el amplificador
amplifier
Questions & Answers about A veces me enojaba que el amplificador no funcionara.
Why do we use the imperfect subjunctive (funcionara) here instead of the past indicative (funcionaba)?
The verb enojar expresses an emotion. Just like in the present tense, where expressing an emotion requires the present subjunctive, expressing an emotion in the past requires the past (imperfect) subjunctive. Because you are expressing an emotional reaction to the amplifier not working, funcionara is required.
Why is the triggering verb enojaba in the imperfect tense rather than the preterite (enojó)?
The phrase A veces (sometimes) tells us this was a repeated or habitual reaction in the past, rather than a single, isolated event. If the amplifier had only broken and angered you once on a specific day, you would use the preterite me enojó.
Could I use the other form of the imperfect subjunctive, funcionase, in this sentence?
Yes, funcionara and funcionase mean exactly the same thing and are grammatically interchangeable. However, the -ra ending is used much more frequently in everyday Latin American Spanish.
Does me enojaba mean "I was angry" or "it angered me" in this context?
In this sentence, it translates best to "it angered me." Here, enojar is used like the verb gustar. The entire clause about the amplifier is actually the subject doing the "angering," and me is the indirect object receiving that emotion. If you wanted to make yourself the subject ("I used to get angry"), you would use the reflexive verb enojarse.
Learn A veces me enojaba que el amplificador no funcionara and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free