ELONIO
Log inSign up

Respira el vapor del eucalipto y respirarás mejor.

Respira el vapor del eucalipto y respirarás mejor.
Breathe the eucalyptus steam and you will breathe better.
From Lesson 433:Colloquial conditionals (imperative + y)·Spanish (Latin America)

Breakdown of Respira el vapor del eucalipto y respirarás mejor.

y
and
del
from the / of the
mejor
better
respirar
to breathe
el vapor
steam
el eucalipto
eucalyptus

Questions & Answers about Respira el vapor del eucalipto y respirarás mejor.

How does the imperative verb respira act like a conditional "if" statement here?
In colloquial Spanish, combining a command (the imperative) with y and the future tense is a very common alternative to a standard si (if) clause. Saying Respira... y respirarás means exactly the same as Si respiras... respirarás (If you breathe... you will breathe).
Could I use the present tense for the second verb instead of the future tense?
Yes! You could say Respira el vapor del eucalipto y respiras mejor. Using the present indicative (respiras) makes the result sound even more immediate and certain, like an established fact or an instant fix rather than a future prediction.
How would this sentence change if I were speaking formally to someone using usted?
Both verbs must change to match the usted pronoun. The imperative respira becomes respire, and the future tense respirarás becomes respirará. The new sentence would be: Respire el vapor del eucalipto y respirará mejor.
Why is it del eucalipto rather than just de eucalipto?
While vapor de eucalipto (eucalyptus steam) is completely correct as a general descriptive category, adding the definite article el (which combines with de to form del) makes it slightly more specific. It implies you are referring to the specific batch of eucalyptus or steam that you have just prepared for the person to person.

Learn Respira el vapor del eucalipto y respirarás mejor and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Spanish →