Breakdown of En cuanto termine el trabajo, descongelaré la cena.
terminar
to finish / to end
el trabajo
the work
la cena
the dinner
en cuanto
as soon as
descongelar
to defrost
Questions & Answers about En cuanto termine el trabajo, descongelaré la cena.
Why is termine in the subjunctive here?
We use the subjunctive after time conjunctions like en cuanto (as soon as) when referring to an action that hasn't happened yet. Since you haven't finished work yet, termine is in the present subjunctive.
Could I use the indicative if I was talking about a habit instead of a future event?
Yes! If you were describing a routine, you would use the indicative. For example, En cuanto termino el trabajo, descongelo la cena means 'As soon as I finish work, I always defrost dinner.' But because this sentence is about a specific future event, the subjunctive is required.
Can I use apenas or tan pronto como instead of en cuanto in this sentence?
Absolutely. Apenas termine el trabajo and Tan pronto como termine el trabajo mean exactly the same thing and follow the exact same rule, requiring the subjunctive for an anticipated future event.
Why do we say el trabajo instead of just trabajo like in English?
How does the word descongelaré break down?
It comes from the verb descongelar (to defrost or thaw). This is formed by adding the prefix des- (which reverses an action) to congelar (to freeze). The -é at the end is the first-person future tense ending, meaning 'I will defrost'.
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