Toma un sorbo pequeño, que el caldo acaba de hervir.
Take a small sip, because the broth just boiled.
Breakdown of Toma un sorbo pequeño, que el caldo acaba de hervir.
un
a, an (masculine)
pequeño
small
tomar
to take / to drink
acabar de
to have just
Questions & Answers about Toma un sorbo pequeño, que el caldo acaba de hervir.
Why is que translated as "because" instead of "that" in this sentence?
In colloquial Spanish, an unstressed que is frequently used right after a command or statement to introduce a quick explanation. It acts just like porque (because), but it feels lighter and more conversational. You will hear this constantly in spoken Spanish to justify why you just told someone to do something.
Why does the translation say the broth "just boiled" when acaba is in the present tense?
The formula acabar de plus an infinitive (here, hervir) translates to "to have just done" something. Even though the boiling happened a moment ago in the past, Spanish uses the present tense acaba to show that the broth currently holds the status of having just finished that action.
Is there a difference between taking a sorbo and taking a trago?
Yes! A sorbo is a small, careful sip, which is exactly what you want when dealing with hot broth. A trago is a larger swallow or gulp, and it is also the standard conversational word for an alcoholic drink.
If I wanted to be more formal, how would the first half of this sentence change?