Breakdown of Es que llevamos una hora sin usar el inodoro, ¡qué urgencia!
ser
to be
una
a, an (feminine)
usar
to use / to wear
qué
what
la hora
hour
que
that / than
sin
without
llevar
to have been (doing) for a time
el inodoro
the toilet
la urgencia
the urgency
Questions & Answers about Es que llevamos una hora sin usar el inodoro, ¡qué urgencia!
Why do we use llevamos una hora sin usar instead of a direct translation like no hemos usado por una hora?
The structure llevar + time expression + sin + infinitive is the most natural way in Spanish to express how long it has been since an action last occurred. While a literal translation with the present perfect might be understood, using llevar sounds much more native and emphasizes the ongoing duration of not doing the action.
What is the purpose of starting the sentence with Es que?
Es que translates closely to 'It is just that...' or 'The thing is...'. It is a very common conversational phrase used to offer an explanation, justify an action, or introduce an excuse. Here, it perfectly sets up the reason for the speaker's sense of urgency.
Why is the verb usar left in the infinitive here?
In Spanish, prepositions like sin are always followed by the infinitive form of a verb, rather than a conjugated verb or a gerund. Because the subject 'we' is already clear from llevamos, you simply attach the infinitive to complete the phrase.
Is inodoro the most common word for toilet in Latin America?
Inodoro is widely understood and specifically refers to the toilet fixture itself. Depending on the region, you might also hear excusado or retrete. However, in casual everyday conversation, people usually just refer to the whole room by saying baño, so you could easily say sin usar el baño here too.
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