Breakdown of Cuidando una orquídea, pulverízala siempre con el rociador.
una
a, an (feminine)
siempre
always
con
with
cuidar
to take care of
Questions & Answers about Cuidando una orquídea, pulverízala siempre con el rociador.
How does cuidando translate to 'if you care' instead of 'caring'?
In Spanish, a gerund (a verb ending in -ando or -iendo) at the beginning of a phrase can act as a condition. Cuidando una orquídea is a shorter, slightly more formal way of saying Si cuidas una orquídea (If you care for an orchid). This structure is very common in instructions, manuals, or proverbs.
Why does pulverízala have a written accent mark?
The base command for 'spray' (the informal 'you' form) is pulveriza, with the spoken stress naturally falling on the second-to-last syllable (ri). When we attach the direct object pronoun la to the end, it adds an extra syllable. We must add a written accent over the í to force the vocal stress to stay exactly where it was in the original verb.
Is there a difference between pulverizar and rociar?
Both can mean 'to spray.' Pulverizar literally means to turn something into a fine mist or powder, while rociar means to sprinkle, mist, or spray. The sentence uses pulverízala instead of rocíala primarily to sound more elegant and avoid repeating the same root word next to the noun rociador (spray bottle).
Could I detach the pronoun and say la pulveriza siempre?