Breakdown of La pluma no tiene tinta, y no hay de dónde sacar un cartucho.
de
from / of
y
and
no
no, not
tener
to have
un
a, an (masculine)
haber
to be (there is / there are)
dónde
where
sacar
to take out
la tinta
the ink
la pluma
fountain pen
el cartucho
the cartridge
Questions & Answers about La pluma no tiene tinta, y no hay de dónde sacar un cartucho.
Why does dónde have an accent mark here if the sentence isn't a question?
In negative existential structures like no hay, we use the interrogative form (with the accent) when it is followed by an infinitive. It acts as an indirect question. You can think of the literal translation as "there is no place from where to get a cartridge."
Why do we need the preposition de before dónde?
The verb sacar (to take out or to get) requires the preposition de to show where you are getting something from. Unlike English, which often leaves the preposition at the very end of the sentence ("nowhere to get a cartridge from"), Spanish always places it immediately before the interrogative or relative word.
Could I use the subjunctive here instead of the infinitive sacar?
You could, but only if you want to specify a particular subject. We use the infinitive sacar here because the action is general or impersonal (there is nowhere for anyone to get a cartridge). If you wanted to say "there is nowhere for you to get a cartridge," you would introduce a new subject and use the subjunctive: no hay de dónde saques un cartucho.
Why isn't there an article before tinta, like la tinta?
When using verbs like tener or no tener with an uncountable noun to state a general possession or lack thereof, Spanish drops the article. Adding la would sound like you are referring to a specific, previously mentioned batch of ink.
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