Question 1

Why is oyera in the imperfect subjunctive here?

Accepted Answer

The phrase sin que (without) always triggers the subjunctive because it describes an event that didn't happen or wasn't realized. Since the action in the main clause happened in the past (entró), the subjunctive verb must also be in the past to match it, so we use the imperfect subjunctive (oyera).

Question 2

Could I just say sin oírla instead of sin que yo la oyera?

Accepted Answer

No, because there is a change of subject. She is the one who entered, but you are the one who didn't hear her. When the subjects of the two actions are different, you must use sin que + conjugated subjunctive verb. If the sentence had the same subject for both actions, like 'She entered without making a sound', you would use sin + infinitive: Entró sin hacer ruido.

Question 3

Why is the pronoun la used in la oyera instead of le?

Accepted Answer

The verb oír (to hear) takes a direct object for the person or thing being heard. Since the person being heard in this sentence is female, we use the direct object pronoun la. If it were a male, it would be lo (though you might often hear le in Spain due to a regional variation called leísmo).

Question 4

Is con mucho sigilo the most natural way to say 'stealthily'?

Accepted Answer

Yes! While you could use a direct adverb like sigilosamente, Spanish often prefers using con + noun to describe the manner in which an action is done. Con mucho sigilo (with a lot of stealth) is a very natural, everyday way to express doing something quietly so as not to be detected.

Entró con mucho sigilo sin que yo la oyera.

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