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Podemos convivir en paz siempre que nadie invada el espacio privado.

Podemos convivir en paz siempre que nadie invada el espacio privado.
We can live together in peace provided that nobody invades the private space.
From Lesson 345:Strict conditions (con tal de que, siempre y cuando)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Podemos convivir en paz siempre que nadie invada el espacio privado.

Why do we use the subjunctive invada instead of the indicative invade here?
The phrase siempre que means "provided that" or "as long as" and sets up a strict condition for something else to happen. In Spanish, conditional expressions like this always trigger the subjunctive because they describe a hypothetical requirement, not a declared fact.
I've seen siempre que used to mean "whenever." How do I know it means "provided that" here?
The key is the verb mood! When siempre que is followed by the indicative (like siempre que alguien invade), it means "whenever" and describes a habitual action. Because it is followed by the subjunctive invada in this sentence, it shifts to meaning "provided that" or "as long as" and sets a condition.
Could I replace siempre que with siempre y cuando or con tal de que in this sentence?
Yes, absolutely! Both siempre y cuando and con tal de que also mean "provided that" or "as long as" and also require the subjunctive. They are interchangeable with siempre que in this context, though con tal de que sometimes carries a slightly stronger sense of "on the sole condition that."
Why use the verb convivir instead of just saying vivir juntos?
While vivir juntos works to mean "living physically in the same space," convivir is a highly common single verb that emphasizes the social aspect of coexisting or getting along. It is the most natural choice when talking about living together in harmony.
Why isn't there a double negative with nadie in this sentence?
Because nadie comes before the verb invada. In Spanish, if a negative word like nadie (nobody) appears before the verb, you do not use no. You only need a double negative if the negative word comes after the verb, such as in siempre que no invada nadie.

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