Breakdown of Aun cuando estemos sedientos, cruzaremos las dunas de arena.
de
from / of
estar
to be (location/state)
cruzar
to cross
la arena
the sand
sediento
thirsty
aun cuando
even when / even if
la duna
dune
Questions & Answers about Aun cuando estemos sedientos, cruzaremos las dunas de arena.
Why is estemos in the subjunctive instead of the indicative (estamos)?
When using aun cuando (even if / even when) to talk about a hypothetical or future situation, Spanish requires the subjunctive because the event isn't declared as a definite fact yet. If you used the indicative (aun cuando estamos sedientos), the meaning would change to "even though we are [currently, factually] thirsty."
Could I use incluso si instead of aun cuando here?
Yes, but you would have to change the verb to the indicative! Unlike aun cuando or aunque, the phrase incluso si (even if) generally takes the present indicative for hypothetical present or future events. So you would say incluso si estamos sedientos, cruzaremos...
I learned to use tener sed for "to be thirsty." Why use estar sediento?
Both are completely correct. While tener sed (literally "to have thirst") is the standard, everyday way to say you are thirsty, estar sediento uses the adjective sediento (thirsty). It sounds a bit more descriptive, intense, or dramatic, which perfectly fits the extreme imagery of crossing sand dunes.
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