Learn Spanish (Latin America): Si bien venden este suplemento, su anuncio es engañoso. - Although they sell this supplement, its ad is deceptive.

Si bien venden este suplemento, su anuncio es engañoso.

Although they sell this supplement, its ad is deceptive.

Breakdown of Si bien venden este suplemento, su anuncio es engañoso.

ser

to be

his/her/its/their/your (formal)

Questions & Answers about Si bien venden este suplemento, su anuncio es engañoso.

Why is venden in the indicative and not the subjunctive, since concessive phrases often use the subjunctive?

The phrase si bien (although / while it is true that) is used to concede an established, objective fact. Because it does not express doubt or a hypothetical situation, it triggers the indicative mood (venden), unlike aunque, which can take the subjunctive when the information is doubtful or refers to the future.

Can I just use aunque instead of si bien in this sentence?

Yes, you can. Aunque venden este suplemento means the exact same thing. Si bien is just slightly more formal and analytical, much like saying 'While it is true that they sell...' instead of simply 'Although they sell...' in English.

Is engañoso related to the verb engañar?

Exactly! It comes from the verb engañar, which means to deceive, trick, or fool. Adding the adjective suffix -oso (meaning full of or prone to) gives us engañoso, which translates directly to deceptive or misleading.

Does su in su anuncio mean 'their ad' (the people selling it) or 'its ad' (the supplement's)?

It can actually be both! Because su translates to his, her, its, your (formal), or their, it covers both 'the sellers ad' and 'the supplement ad'. Spanish speakers rely entirely on the context here, and practically, both interpretations lead to the exact same understanding of the sentence.