Question 1

The English translation says "We do not milk...", but there is no no in the Spanish sentence. Why is it affirmative?

Accepted Answer

In many parts of Latin America, using hasta with an affirmative verb means the action doesn't start until the time mentioned. This is called delayed inception. Because of this, Ordeñamos la vaca hasta la mañana translates to "We do not milk the cow until the morning."

Question 2

Would this sentence mean the same thing in Spain?

Accepted Answer

Probably not! In Spain, an affirmative verb with hasta describes a continuous action. A speaker from Spain would likely understand this as "We milk the cow continuously until the morning" (which sounds exhausting for the cow). To avoid confusion outside of Latin America, you can use the standard negative: No ordeñamos la vaca hasta la mañana.

Question 3

Is ordeñamos in the present or past tense here?

Accepted Answer

It is in the present tense, describing a routine, but out of context it could actually be either! For regular -ar verbs, the nosotros form is exactly the same in both the present (ordeñamos = we milk) and the preterite past tense (ordeñamos = we milked). You have to rely on context to tell the difference.

Question 4

How would the meaning change if I said por la mañana instead of hasta la mañana?

Accepted Answer

If you say Ordeñamos la vaca por la mañana, it simply means "We milk the cow in the morning." Using hasta specifically emphasizes the waiting period, letting the listener know that the action will not happen until the morning.

Ordeñamos la vaca hasta la mañana.

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