Question 1

Why do we use the pronominal form se pasan here instead of just pasan?

Accepted Answer

Using pasarse with a time expression and a gerund adds emphasis. While pasan las horas jugando just states a fact (they spend the hours playing), se pasan las horas jugando highlights that they spend a whole lot of time doing it, often implying the action is excessive, continuous, or fully absorbing.

Question 2

Could I use an infinitive instead of the gerund jugando after the time expression?

Accepted Answer

No, this specific structure requires a gerund. When you use pasar or pasarse to talk about spending time doing an action, the action must be in the gerund form (jugando, comiendo), much like how in English you say spending time playing, not to play.

Question 3

What is the difference between junto al ventilador and al lado del ventilador?

Accepted Answer

They mean exactly the same thing here: right next to the fan. Junto a is a very common and slightly more concise way to say al lado de. Remember that the preposition a combines with the masculine article el to form the contraction al.

Question 4

Does la consola always refer to a video game console?

Accepted Answer

In modern casual contexts, yes. If someone is playing with la consola, it almost certainly refers to a home gaming system. You will also commonly hear people say jugando a los videojuegos or simply jugando a la play to express the exact same idea.

Ellos se pasan las horas jugando con la consola junto al ventilador.

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