Spanish · C1 · Everyday language
What Matters Either Way in Spanish
Helping children understand that certain values, duties, and support systems remain constant regardless of specific outcomes is a key part of emotional stability. In Spanish, 'whether... or' constructions (ya sea... o / tanto si... como si) allow you to state that a condition doesn't change the main outcome or value.
What you'll learn
- Express irrelevance of specific outcomes using 'tanto si... como si' or 'ya sea... o'.
- Maintain reassuring family values across different scenarios.
- Master advanced Spanish conjunctions for conditional independence.
Spanish phrases for what matters either way
Tanto si tu equipo gana como si pierde, me encantará que me cuentes sobre el partido.
Whether your team wins or loses, I'll be glad to hear about your match.
Using 'tanto si... como si' is a common way to express 'whether... or' in these contexts.
Ya sea que vayamos caminando al colegio o en autobús, igual tenemos que salir a tiempo.
Whether we walk to school or take the bus, we still need to leave on time.
'Ya sea que' followed by the subjunctive is a formal but very natural C1 construction.
Tanto si lees la página con fluidez como si te detienes en varias palabras, la práctica vale la pena.
Whether you read the page smoothly or stop at several words, the practice is worthwhile.
'Vale la pena' is the standard idiomatic expression for 'is worthwhile'.
Ya sea que tu amigo elija tu juego o sugiera otro, ambos tienen derecho a opinar.
Whether your friend chooses your game or suggests another one, both of you deserve a say.
'Tener derecho a opinar' captures the essence of 'deserve a say'.
Tanto si ahorras tu paga como si gastas una parte, llevaremos la cuenta de lo que quede.
Whether you save your pocket money or spend some of it, we'll keep track of what remains.
'Paga' is the common term for a child's allowance or pocket money in Spain; 'mesada' is used in Latin America.
Ya sea que los deberes te resulten fáciles o difíciles, puedes pedirme que te explique las instrucciones.
Whether the homework feels easy or difficult, you can ask me to explain the instructions.
'Resultar' is more precise than 'ser' here to describe how something 'feels' or 'turns out' to be.
Tanto si marcas un gol como si no, aún puedes ayudar a tu equipo.
Whether you score a goal or not, you can still help your team.
'Marcar un gol' is the standard verb for scoring in football/soccer.
Ya sea que prepares tu mochila esta noche o mañana por la mañana, el libro de la biblioteca debe ir dentro.
Whether you pack your bag tonight or tomorrow morning, the library book needs to go in it.
'Debe ir dentro' expresses the necessity of the book's location.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
tanto si... como si
whether... or
A correlative conjunction used to show that the main clause is true in both cases.
ya sea que
whether it be that
Usually triggers the subjunctive mood and is used for alternative conditions.
llevaremos la cuenta
we will keep track
Literally 'we will carry the count'.
deberes
homework
Standard term in Spain; 'tarea' is more common in Latin America.
Irrelevance Constructions with Subordinate Clauses
In Spanish, to express that the main clause happens regardless of which condition is met, we often use 'Tanto si... como si' or 'Ya sea... o'. Unlike indirect questions (like 'I don't know whether...'), these phrases are concessive in nature.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Tanto si + Indicative | Tanto si [verb], como si [verb] | Tanto si llueve como si hace sol, iremos. |
| Ya sea que + Subjunctive | Ya sea que [subj.], o que [subj.] | Ya sea que vengas o que no, el plan sigue. |
| Clause-Final Verbs | Subordinate + Main | Ganes o pierdas, estamos orgullosos. |
More examples
Hagas lo que hagas, te quiero.
Whatever you do, I love you.
A common 'irrelevance' construction using the subjunctive.
Esté bien o esté mal, lo revisaremos juntos.
Whether it's right or wrong, we will review it together.
Uses doubled subjunctive for two alternatives.