Breakdown of Tienes que soplar, que te quemas la lengua.
tener
to have
te
to you / you (direct object)
la
the (feminine)
quemar
to burn
la lengua
the tongue
soplar
to blow
que
because (often after commands)
Questions & Answers about Tienes que soplar, que te quemas la lengua.
Why is just que used here instead of porque?
Why is quemas in the present tense when the English translation says you will burn?
In conversational Spanish, the present tense is frequently used to express an immediate, highly probable future consequence. Using the present tense te quemas makes the warning feel much more urgent and certain than if you used the future tense te quemarás.
Why do we use la lengua instead of tu lengua for your tongue?
When talking about body parts or items of clothing, Spanish prefers the definite article (el, la, los, las) rather than possessive adjectives (mi, tu, etc.) as long as the owner is clear from the context. Here, the pronoun te already makes it obvious whose tongue it is.
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