Breakdown of Sopla la sopa, que está caliente.
estar
to be (location/state)
la sopa
soup
la
the (feminine)
caliente
hot
soplar
to blow
que
because (often after commands)
Questions & Answers about Sopla la sopa, que está caliente.
Why is que used here instead of porque?
In colloquial Spanish, an unstressed que is often used as a shortcut for porque (because) to explain or justify a command you just gave. You will hear this constantly in spoken language, especially after an imperative like sopla (blow).
In English we say 'blow on the soup'. Why is there no preposition like en after sopla?
In Spanish, the verb soplar takes a direct object when you are blowing something to cool it down. You do not need a preposition to translate 'on'. You just directly 'blow the soup' (sopla la sopa).
Could I say que es caliente instead of que está caliente?
Why is está in the indicative mood rather than the subjunctive?
While the word que often triggers the subjunctive (like when expressing desires or doubts), here it functions as a causal conjunction meaning 'because'. When you are stating a concrete fact as the reason for your command, you use the indicative mood.
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