Breakdown of El plato no es tan picante como para que suavices el sabor.
ser
to be
no
no, not
para
for
el plato
the dish / the plate
que
that / than
tan
as / so
como
as / like (such as, similar to)
el sabor
the flavor
picante
spicy
suavizar
to soften
Questions & Answers about El plato no es tan picante como para que suavices el sabor.
Why do we use como para que suavices here instead of just como para suavizar?
We use como para que followed by the subjunctive (suavices) because there is a change of subject. The first subject is the dish (el plato), and the second subject is you (the person softening the flavor). If the sentence didn't have a specific second subject doing the action, you would use the infinitive: ...como para suavizar el sabor (not spicy enough to soften the flavor).
The translation says "spicy enough", but the Spanish uses tan picante. Why not use a word like suficiente?
Why is suavices spelled with a "c" instead of a "z" like in its infinitive form suavizar?
This is a standard spelling rule. In Spanish, the letter "z" is rarely followed by an "e" or an "i". Because forming the present subjunctive for an -ar verb like suavizar requires an -e ending (suavices), the z must change to a c to maintain the correct pronunciation.
The sentence uses es in no es tan picante. Could we use está instead?
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