Learn Spanish (Latin America): No sabemos qué tan justa es la cláusula, o sea, si es buena. - We do not know how fair the clause is, in other words, if it is good.

No sabemos qué tan justa es la cláusula, o sea, si es buena.

We do not know how fair the clause is, in other words, if it is good.

Breakdown of No sabemos qué tan justa es la cláusula, o sea, si es buena.

to know (facts) / to hear from (someone)

Questions & Answers about No sabemos qué tan justa es la cláusula, o sea, si es buena.

How does o sea work in this sentence?

O sea translates to "in other words" or "that is to say." It is an explicative discourse marker, meaning it introduces a simpler or clearer way to explain what was just said. Here, it clarifies that wondering "how fair the clause is" is exactly the same as wondering "if it is good."

Why use qué tan justa instead of cómo justa to say "how fair"?

In Latin American Spanish, qué tan followed by an adjective is the standard way to express "how [adjective]" something is. You cannot use cómo (how) directly before an adjective. Therefore, "how fair" must translate to qué tan justa.

Why do we use the indicative es in si es buena? Doesn't no sabemos trigger the subjunctive?

While no sabemos que would trigger the subjunctive due to doubt, the rule changes with si (if). Indirect questions starting with si almost always take the indicative mood in Spanish, even when introduced by a phrase expressing uncertainty like no sabemos.

Why are the words ordered as qué tan justa es la cláusula instead of putting the noun first?