Breakdown of El purificador de agua es esencial por si nos quedamos incomunicados.
ser
to be
de
from / of
el agua
water
quedarse
to stay / to end up / become
por
for / by / through / in/during (part of the day)
si
if
esencial
essential
el purificador
purifier
incomunicado
isolated (without communication)
Questions & Answers about El purificador de agua es esencial por si nos quedamos incomunicados.
Doesn't "just in case" imply uncertainty? Why is nos quedamos in the present indicative instead of the subjunctive?
This is a specific rule to memorize! Even though it expresses a hypothetical situation, the phrase por si is normally followed by the indicative, not the subjunctive. We use the present indicative like nos quedamos to talk about a realistic future possibility that we are preparing for right now.
Could I use por si acaso in this sentence instead of just por si?
Why use nos quedamos here instead of another verb for "become"?
Quedarse is frequently used as a verb of change to express a new state or condition, especially one that is the result of an event. It often implies a loss, a restriction, or a somewhat negative outcome. Nos quedamos incomunicados perfectly captures the idea of "we end up cut off" or "we are left stranded."
Does incomunicados literally mean we lose our phones or internet?
It certainly includes losing phone or internet service, but it is a broader term. In Latin America, it is widely used during natural disasters to mean being physically cut off from the outside world. It applies when roads are flooded or blocked, making it impossible to travel, get supplies, or reach out for help.
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