Log inSign up

Es importante utilizar bien el tiempo.

Es importante utilizar bien el tiempo.
It is important to use time well.
From Lesson 202:Impersonal expressions (es... que)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Es importante utilizar bien el tiempo.

The current lesson uses que + subjunctive after es importante. Why is the infinitive utilizar used here instead?
When you make a general statement without a specific person in mind, you drop que and use the infinitive. If you wanted to say "It is important that you use time well," you would then specify the subject using que and the subjunctive: Es importante que utilices bien el tiempo.
Why is bien placed right after utilizar instead of at the end of the sentence like in English?
In Spanish, short adverbs like bien (well) or mal (badly) are usually placed immediately after the verb they modify, before the direct object (el tiempo). Saying utilizar el tiempo bien is understood, but putting bien right next to the verb sounds much more natural to native speakers.
Why do we need the article el before tiempo? In English we just say "use time well," not "use the time well."
In Spanish, abstract nouns and general concepts almost always require a definite article (el, la, los, las). Since we are talking about "time" as a general concept here, it must be el tiempo.
Can el tiempo also mean "the weather"?
Yes! El tiempo translates to both "time" and "weather." You have to rely on context to know which one is meant. Since you can't really "use" the weather, utilizar bien el tiempo clearly refers to time in this sentence.

Learn Es importante utilizar bien el tiempo and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Spanish →