Breakdown of Añadió un toquecito de ají, pero no es tan fuerte como para que me arda la boca.
ser
to be
de
from / of
pero
but
no
no, not
un
a, an (masculine)
para
for
fuerte
strong / loudly
que
that / than
me
to me / me (direct object)
tan
as / so
como
as / like (such as, similar to)
añadir
to add
la boca
mouth
el ají
chili pepper (South America)
arder
to burn (to be on fire)
el toque
touch
Questions & Answers about Añadió un toquecito de ají, pero no es tan fuerte como para que me arda la boca.
Why do we use como para que with the subjunctive (arda) instead of just como para with an infinitive?
We use como para que followed by the subjunctive because there is a change in the subject. The first part is about the chili (no es tan fuerte), but the second part is about the mouth (me arda la boca). If the subject remained the same, we would use como para plus an infinitive.
Does como para que always trigger the subjunctive?
Yes. The phrase como para que sets up a threshold for a consequence (strong enough for X to happen). Because this consequence is viewed as hypothetical or, as in this sentence, something that is explicitly not happening, it always requires a subjunctive verb.
Why does the sentence use me arda la boca instead of arda mi boca?
In Spanish, you generally do not use possessive adjectives like mi (my) with body parts. Instead, you use a definite article (here, la boca) and an indirect object pronoun (here, me) to indicate whose body part is affected. It conceptually translates to 'the mouth burns to me'.
I thought chili pepper was chile. Is ají a regional word?
Yes. While chile is the standard word in Mexico and Central America, ají is the preferred term for chili pepper in much of South America (including Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Argentina) as well as the Caribbean.
Learn Añadió un toquecito de ají, pero no es tan fuerte como para que me arda la boca and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free