Breakdown of Esa generación es muy conservadora, mientras que nosotros somos muy liberales.
ser
to be
nosotros
we
esa
that (feminine)
muy
very
que
that / than
la generación
generation
mientras
while / the more/less (in proportional comparisons) / as long as
conservador
conservative
liberal
liberal
Questions & Answers about Esa generación es muy conservadora, mientras que nosotros somos muy liberales.
Why do we use mientras que instead of just mientras here?
Mientras on its own usually means "while" in a temporal sense, describing two actions happening at the same time. Adding que to make mientras que changes the meaning to "whereas" or a contrastive "while." It is used specifically to contrast two differing ideas, like the conservative generation and the liberal "us" in this sentence.
Why does mientras que trigger the indicative verb somos rather than the subjunctive?
When mientras que is used to contrast established, objective facts (like "they are conservative, whereas we are liberal"), it always takes the indicative mood. You only use the subjunctive with mientras when you are talking about an uncertain future or a condition, such as "as long as..."
Why is the subject pronoun nosotros included instead of just saying somos muy liberales?
While Spanish generally drops subject pronouns, it is very common and natural to include them when you are drawing a direct contrast. Here, explicitly stating nosotros strongly emphasizes the dividing line between esa generación (them) and nosotros (us).
Why do we use the verb ser (es, somos) for being conservative or liberal? Aren't political views subject to change?
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