Question 1

This lesson is about "dejar de", so why does this sentence use "ya no"?

Accepted Answer

Ya no means "no longer" or "not anymore" and is a very common alternative to dejar de (to stop doing something). While dejar de is followed by an infinitive, ya no is placed right before a conjugated verb. You could express this exact same idea using the lesson's grammar: Él dejó de masticar palomitas... (He stopped chewing popcorn...).

Question 2

Can I put "ya no" at the end of the sentence, since we often put "anymore" at the end in English?

Accepted Answer

No, Spanish is much stricter about this placement. Ya no almost always goes directly before the conjugated verb it modifies. You shouldn't separate the two words or stick them at the end of the phrase. It has to be ya no mastica.

Question 3

Is "palomitas" the only word for popcorn in Latin America?

Accepted Answer

Palomitas (literally "little doves") is the most widely understood term, especially in Mexico and Central America. However, popcorn has many fun regional names! Depending on where you travel or who you speak with, you might hear pochoclo (Argentina), cabritas (Chile), cotufas (Venezuela), or crispetas (Colombia).

Question 4

Why do we use "en el cine" instead of "al cine" to mean "at the cinema"?

Accepted Answer

You use en because he is physically located at or in the location while the action happens. You would use al (a + el) if there were movement towards the cinema, such as Él va al cine (He is going to the cinema).

Él ya no mastica palomitas en el cine.

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