Breakdown of Yo que tú aplicaría una capa de cera porque es lo mejor.
yo
I
ser
to be
tú
you
de
of
un
a, an, some
porque
because
que
that (relative pronoun, conjunction)
mejor
better; best (the best)
lo
the … thing (neuter article before an adjective)
aplicar
to apply
la capa
the layer
la cera
the wax
Questions & Answers about Yo que tú aplicaría una capa de cera porque es lo mejor.
Why is yo que tú translated as 'if I were you'?
This is a very common idiomatic phrase in Spain. Literally, it translates to something like 'I than you,' but it functions just like the English phrase 'If I were you.' It is always used to give advice and is followed by the conditional tense.
Doesn't 'if I were' usually require the past subjunctive? Why is aplicaría in the conditional tense?
You are right that the full phrase si yo fuera tú (if I were you) uses the past subjunctive. However, the shortcut phrase yo que tú bypasses the 'if' clause entirely. Because you are stating what you would do, you just use the conditional tense directly: aplicaría (I would apply).
Why does the sentence use lo mejor instead of el mejor or la mejor?
Here, lo is the neuter article. We use lo plus an adjective when we aren't referring to a specific masculine or feminine noun, but rather an abstract idea. Lo mejor simply means 'the best thing' or 'what is best' in general.
Could I use yo en tu lugar instead of yo que tú here?
Yes, absolutely! Yo en tu lugar (literally: I in your place) is entirely interchangeable with yo que tú. Both are standard ways to give advice and both are followed by the conditional tense.
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