Breakdown of Conque me dijeron que un mapache sigiloso merodea por el barrio.
un
a, an (masculine)
el barrio
the neighborhood
que
that / than
me
to me / me (direct object)
por
for / by / through / in/during (part of the day)
decir
to say, to tell
conque
so / so then (drawing a conclusion)
el mapache
raccoon
merodear
to prowl / to lurk
sigiloso
stealthy
Questions & Answers about Conque me dijeron que un mapache sigiloso merodea por el barrio.
How does conque work here, and is it the same as con que or con qué?
Conque (written as one word) is a conjunction that means 'so' or 'so then'. It is used to express a deduction or a consequence based on the context. As you are learning in this lesson, it is followed by the indicative mood (like me dijeron here) to state a fact, or the imperative to give a command. Do not confuse it with the two-word con que (with which) or the question form con qué (with what).
Why is merodea in the present indicative instead of the subjunctive, since this is reported speech?
Even though we have a reporting verb (dijeron que), the information being reported is presented as a declared fact rather than a doubt, command, or emotional reaction. When reporting statements of fact or relaying information, Spanish uses the indicative mood. Merodea (from merodear, to prowl) is in the present tense because the prowling is currently ongoing in the neighborhood.
Why do we use por instead of en in the phrase por el barrio?
What does sigiloso mean, and why is it placed after the noun here?
Sigiloso means stealthy, secretive, or silent. Like most descriptive adjectives in Spanish that distinguish a specific noun from others of its kind, it is placed immediately after the noun (un mapache sigiloso). It highlights a distinguishing physical trait of this particular raccoon.
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