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Intercambiamos las teclas sin que el jefe se dé cuenta.

Intercambiamos las teclas sin que el jefe se dé cuenta.
We swap the keys without the boss realizing.
From Lesson 373:Negative conditions (sin que)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Intercambiamos las teclas sin que el jefe se dé cuenta.

Why do we use the subjunctive dé after sin que?
The phrase sin que (without) always triggers the subjunctive. It introduces a negative condition or manner—an event that does not happen or is actively being avoided. Because the boss realizing is the exact thing being prevented, it is treated as an unrealized action, requiring the subjunctive se dé cuenta.
What is the difference between las teclas and las llaves?
Las teclas refers to the keys on a computer keyboard, typewriter, or piano. If you were talking about the physical keys used to unlock a door, you would use las llaves. This sentence is likely describing a workplace prank on someone's computer!
Why does dé have an accent mark?
The accent mark is a diacritical mark used to distinguish dé (the subjunctive form of the verb dar) from the preposition de (of/from). They sound exactly the same when spoken, so the written accent prevents confusion.
Could we use the verb realizar here instead of darse cuenta?
No, because realizar is a "false friend." It generally means "to carry out," "to perform," or "to make real" (like realizing a dream or executing a project). To express "to realize" in the sense of noticing or becoming aware of something, you must use darse cuenta.
Since intercambiamos can be present or past tense, how do we know which it is here?
The word intercambiamos is spelled exactly the same in both the present and the preterite (past) tense. However, we know this specific sentence is in the present tense because of the present subjunctive verb dé. If the sentence were in the past ("We swapped the keys..."), the rules of tense agreement would require the past subjunctive in the second half: sin que el jefe se diera cuenta.

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