Breakdown of Necesitamos que te calles porque preferimos el silencio.
porque
because
que
that (relative pronoun, conjunction)
preferir
to prefer
necesitar
to need
callarse
to be quiet
el silencio
the silence
Questions & Answers about Necesitamos que te calles porque preferimos el silencio.
Why is calles in the subjunctive here?
The verb necesitamos (we need) expresses a desire or influence. Because the subject changes from "we" (who need) to "you" (who must be quiet), it triggers the use of que followed by the subjunctive form calles.
Why is there a te before calles?
It comes from the reflexive verb callarse (to keep quiet). Even though the verb is conjugated in the subjunctive, it still needs its pronoun. Since the action is about "you" being quiet, we use te before the verb.
The verb preferir is also in this lesson. Why isn't the subjunctive used in the second half of the sentence?
Verbs of preference and desire only trigger the subjunctive when they introduce a new action with a different subject (using que). In this sentence, preferimos is simply followed by a direct object noun (el silencio), so the subjunctive isn't needed.
Why does the Spanish sentence say el silencio instead of just silencio like the English translation?
In Spanish, when you talk about abstract concepts or things in a general sense (like "silence", "time", or "love"), you usually need to include the definite article. Therefore, general "silence" translates to el silencio.
Learn Necesitamos que te calles porque preferimos el silencio 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