Learn Spanish (Spain): A medida que el profesor usa el metrónomo, entiendo el compás. - As the teacher uses the metronome, I understand the measure.

A medida que el profesor usa el metrónomo, entiendo el compás.

As the teacher uses the metronome, I understand the measure.

Breakdown of A medida que el profesor usa el metrónomo, entiendo el compás.

Questions & Answers about A medida que el profesor usa el metrónomo, entiendo el compás.

Why is usa in the indicative here instead of the subjunctive?

The phrase a medida que takes the indicative when it describes a factual, ongoing, or habitual action. Because the speaker is describing something happening right now as a fact, usa is in the indicative. If it referred to an anticipated future or hypothetical action, it would require the subjunctive (use).

Does a medida que mean exactly the same thing as mientras?

Not exactly. While mientras simply means 'while' (showing two actions happening simultaneously), a medida que implies a progression. It translates closer to 'as' or 'in proportion to,' emphasizing that the student's understanding develops step-by-step alongside the teacher's continuous use of the metronome.

I thought a compass was brújula. Why does this sentence translate compás as 'measure'?

A magnetic compass for navigation is indeed a brújula. However, compás is a false friend with several meanings in Spanish. In a musical context like this one, it translates to 'measure', 'time', or 'rhythm'. It can also refer to a drafting compass used in geometry.

Could we say al usar el profesor el metrónomo instead to mean the same thing?

You could, but it changes the feeling of the sentence. Al usar means 'upon using' or 'when using' and focuses on a single point in time. A medida que usa is much better here because it captures the gradual nature of the action: the understanding happens little by little as the metronome ticks.