Breakdown of Ellos se conforman con el consumismo, mientras que nosotros buscamos la paz.
nosotros
we
ellos
they
buscar
to look for
que
that / than
mientras
while / the more/less (in proportional comparisons) / as long as
la paz
the peace
conformarse con
to settle for
el consumismo
the consumerism
Questions & Answers about Ellos se conforman con el consumismo, mientras que nosotros buscamos la paz.
Why is buscamos in the indicative here instead of the subjunctive?
The phrase mientras que is used here to contrast two statements of fact, meaning 'while' or 'whereas'. When making a contrast between known facts, it takes the indicative. You only use the subjunctive with mientras que when it means 'as long as' and refers to an uncertain future event.
Why do we use the pronoun se and the preposition con with conforman?
The verb conformar generally means 'to shape' or 'to make up'. However, the pronominal version conformarse changes the meaning to 'to settle' or 'to be satisfied'. It pairs with the preposition con to show what someone is settling for, forming the set phrase conformarse con.
Why are the articles el and la used before consumismo and paz?
In Spanish, you must use definite articles like el and la before abstract nouns when you are talking about the concept in a general sense. While English just says 'consumerism' and 'peace', Spanish requires el consumismo and la paz.
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