Learn Spanish (Latin America): Hice un borrón en el último renglón y no tengo con qué corregirlo. - I made a smudge on the last line and I have nothing to correct it with.

Hice un borrón en el último renglón y no tengo con qué corregirlo.

I made a smudge on the last line and I have nothing to correct it with.

Breakdown of Hice un borrón en el último renglón y no tengo con qué corregirlo.

Questions & Answers about Hice un borrón en el último renglón y no tengo con qué corregirlo.

Why is it no tengo con qué corregirlo instead of no tengo nada con que corregirlo?

Both are possible, but this sentence uses a common Spanish structure: no tener (or no haber) + preposition + qué/quién/dónde + infinitive. It literally translates to 'I do not have with what to correct it.' It is a very natural, concise way to express that you lack the means, tools, or place to do something without needing a word like nada (nothing) or nadie (nobody).

Why does qué have an accent mark here if it is not a direct question?

In this specific 'negative existential' structure, the word qué functions as an interrogative pronoun introducing an indirect question, so it keeps its written accent (the tilde). You are essentially saying, 'I do not have [the answer to:] with what to correct it.'

I know borrar means 'to erase', so why does borrón mean 'smudge' or 'blot'?

The suffix -ón often indicates something large, sudden, or clumsy. Before modern erasers, trying to erase wet ink or charcoal often resulted in a big smear or blot—a borrón. The literal result of a messy erasure became the standard word for a smudge or stain.

Could I use línea instead of renglón for the 'last line'?