Breakdown of Quizás el embrague sea más caro de lo que esperamos.
ser
to be
de
from / of
caro
expensive
esperar
to wait / to hope / to expect
que
that / than
más
more
lo
the ... thing (neuter article)
quizás
perhaps / maybe
el embrague
clutch
Questions & Answers about Quizás el embrague sea más caro de lo que esperamos.
Why is sea in the subjunctive here after quizás?
Adverbs of doubt like quizá(s) can take either the indicative or the subjunctive. Using the subjunctive (sea) shows a higher degree of doubt—the speaker is just guessing that the clutch might be more expensive. If they felt it was very likely to be more expensive, they could have used the indicative (es).
Is there a difference between using quizás and quizá in this sentence?
Why does the sentence use de lo que instead of just que for 'than'?
When comparing an adjective (caro) to a full clause containing a conjugated verb (esperamos), you must use de lo que (literally 'than that which') instead of just que. You only use a simple que when comparing to a noun or pronoun, like in es más caro que los frenos (it is more expensive than the brakes).
Prices change, so why do we use ser (sea) instead of estar for being expensive?
In Spanish, being expensive (caro) or cheap (barato) is considered an inherent quality of the item, so it takes ser. You would generally only use estar with prices when referring to a fluctuating market rate in a specific moment, like asking ¿A cómo están las manzanas hoy? (How much are apples today?).
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