Posts

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  when to accent "donde"?
  F Fluenz User Support

  Hi @irahandler
  Great observation! The reason dónde is accented in this sentence is because it introduces an indirect question. Even though the sentence is not phrased as a direct question, it still expresses uncertainty about a location (where it is).

  Here’s the breakdown:

  Direct Question:
  Example: ¿Dónde está el mouse?
  Translation: "Where is the mouse?"

  Dónde has an accent because it’s a question word indicating location.
  Indirect Question:
  Example: No sé dónde está el mouse.
  Translation: "I don’t know where the mouse is."

  Dónde retains the accent because it introduces an implied question embedded in the sentence.
  In contrast, donde (without an accent) is used in declarative statements that indicate a place, not a question:

  Example: El lugar donde lo dejé está vacío.
  Translation: "The place where I left it is empty."
  In your example, dónde is accented because the phrase dónde está functions as an indirect question embedded within the larger statement.

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  The verb "poder"
  F Fluenz User Support

  Hi @irahandler This is a great question, and it highlights the subtle nuances in Spanish verb tenses. Let’s break it down:

  In the sentence "Yo podía verlo todos los días, pero ahora ya no vive aquí", the verb podía is in the imperfect tense because it describes a habitual or ongoing ability in the past. In other words, podía here implies "I was able to (repeatedly)" or "I used to be able to," reflecting a continuous or repeated condition rather than a specific moment.

  Here’s how this works:

  Imperfect (Podía): Used to express a habitual or ongoing ability in the past.

  Example: Yo podía verlo todos los días.
  Translation: "I could (used to be able to) see him every day."
  Indicative Conditional (Podría): Used to express a hypothetical ability or possibility, often tied to "I could" or "I would be able to" in English.

  Example: Yo podría verlo si viviera aquí.
  Translation: "I could see him if he lived here."
  In the context of your example, podía is appropriate because it refers to an ability that was possible regularly or habitually in the past. The conditional (podría) would not fit here because it suggests a hypothetical or conditional situation, which is not the case in this sentence.

  I hope this clarifies the difference!

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  Spanish Upgrade
  F Fluenz User Support

  Hi Linda,

  Yes, the Spanish Upgrade version is for Spanish (Latin America). Please contact us at usersupport@fluenz.com and let us know if you’d like to switch to this version and receive a one-year free license.

  Best regards,

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  Present versus future
  F Fluenz User Support

  Great question! The use of "es" in this sentence, even though it's referring to the future, is because "es" expresses a scheduled or planned event, which is common in Spanish when talking about events in the near future.

  In Spanish, the verb "ser" (in its present form "es") is often used to talk about events that are considered certain or scheduled, especially when talking about things like plans or appointments. It’s similar to how we might say "Our trip is next week" in English to describe something scheduled for the future.

  So, even though the trip is in the future, it is being treated as a scheduled event, and "es" is used to express this.

  Here’s a comparison:

  Nuestro viaje a Argentina es la semana que viene ("Our trip to Argentina is next week" – planned/scheduled event)
  Nuestro viaje será la semana que viene ("Our trip will be next week" – future event, but more general)
  Both are correct, but using "es" makes it feel more like a confirmed plan.

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  Present versus future
  F Fluenz User Support

  We received an interesting question from a Fluenz user recently:

  I'm curious why the verb in the example below is 'es' when it refers to something in the future.

  Our trip to Argentina will be next week
  Nuestro viaje a Argentina es la semana que viene

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  Use of que versus qué
  F Fluenz User Support

  In this case, "qué" is used with an accent because it is functioning as an interrogative word (meaning "what") in a direct or indirect question.

  Here’s the breakdown:

  Qué with an accent is used in direct or indirect questions to ask for specific information. It translates to "what" or "which" when asking about something.

  Example: "¿Qué detalles son necesarios?" (What details are necessary?)
  Que without an accent is used as a relative pronoun or conjunction, meaning "that," "which," or "who."

  Example: "Los detalles que son necesarios..." (The details that are necessary...)
  In your sentence:
  "Debería saber qué datos son necesarios para la visa de trabajo argentina,"
  The qué is used because it's asking about the specifics of which details are necessary. Even though it’s not a direct question, the structure suggests an indirect question, which is why the accent is used.

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  Use of que versus qué
  F Fluenz User Support

  We received an interesting question from a Fluenz user recently:

  (You) should know what details are necessary for the Argentinean work visa
  Debería saber qué datos son necesarios para la visa de trabajo argentina

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  Unos/unas and algunos/algunas
  F Fluenz User Support

  In general, unos/unas and algunos/algunas both mean "some," but they are used slightly differently.

  Unos/unas are more often used with countable nouns and imply an approximate quantity. For example: "unas semanas" (some weeks) suggests a non-specific number of weeks.
  Algunos/algunas can be used in similar contexts, but they are often used to express "some" in a more general or uncertain way, and they can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.
  In your example, "unas semanas" is correct because it's referring to a countable, but unspecified, number of weeks.

  So, the difference is subtle, but unos/unas tends to be used more when you're talking about a quantity that can be counted, and algunos/algunas is a bit more flexible for a wider range of situations.

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  Unos/unas and algunos/algunas
  F Fluenz User Support

  We received an interesting question from a Fluenz user recently:

  I am unclear as to when to use unos/unas and when to use algunos/algunas. From a previous lesson (don't remember which), here is an example:

  We arrived two days ago and (we)’re going to stay here (for) some weeks

  nosotros llegamos hace dos días y vamos a quedamos unas semanas

  How does one distinguish between the use of these two words?

  Thanks for your help!

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  Are the dvd’s still available for use on a laptop computer?
  F Fluenz User Support

  We are no longer supporting the Fluenz desktop application (DVDs). Although we have a lot of affection for the desktop app, we've had to evolve with current technology trends.

  While some customers still use the desktop version of Fluenz Italian on their computers, please note that we are no longer maintaining it. As a result, it may not sync correctly with the mobile app, and any content updates or fixes will not be reflected on the desktop version.

  We highly recommend switching to Fluenz Online and the mobile apps to ensure you're using the most up-to-date content.