Spanish · C2 · Family moment
You Can Tell Me What Happened in Spanish
This guide provides advanced Spanish phrases for parents to support children through mistakes, peer pressure, and safety concerns. It focuses on using 'sea cual sea' or 'por muy/mucho que' constructions to express that regardless of the circumstances, the parent's support is unconditional.
What you'll learn
- Express 'whatever/whoever/however' using Spanish subjunctive constructions.
- Offer non-judgmental safety nets for children.
- Master the use of concessive and free-choice clauses in complex sentence structures.
Spanish phrases for you can tell me what happened
Haya pasado lo que haya pasado con tu paga, puedes decírmelo y buscaremos el siguiente paso juntos.
Whatever happened to your pocket money, you can tell me and we'll work out the next step.
Uses 'Haya pasado lo que haya pasado' to capture the uncertainty of the past event.
Por muy convincente que sonara esa promesa, tenías derecho a tomarte tu tiempo antes de aceptar el intercambio.
However convincing that promise sounded, you were allowed to take time before agreeing to the swap.
'Por muy [adjective] que' is the standard way to say 'however [adjective]' in Spanish.
Quienquiera que te haya dicho que lo mantengas en secreto, aún puedes hablar con un adulto de confianza.
Whoever told you to keep it a secret, you can still talk to a trusted adult.
'Quienquiera' is the formal equivalent of 'whoever', followed by the subjunctive.
Sea lo que sea lo que hayas aceptado durante el juego, tienes permiso para parar si no te sientes seguro.
Whatever you agreed to during the game, you are allowed to stop if you feel unsafe.
'Sea lo que sea' is a common idiom for 'whatever it may be'.
Por mucho que se hayan reído los demás, tu decepción merece ser tomada en serio.
However much the others laughed, your disappointment deserves to be taken seriously.
'Por mucho que' + subjunctive focuses on the intensity or quantity of the action.
Dondequiera que haya ido a parar tu libro de lectura, empezaremos a buscar sin culpar a nadie.
Wherever your reading book has ended up, we'll start looking without blaming anyone.
'Dondequiera que' expresses 'wherever' in an unspecified location.
Sea cual sea el amigo al que invites, nos aseguraremos de que todos sepan cuándo termina la tarde de juegos.
Whichever friend you invite, we'll make sure everyone knows when the playdate ends.
'Sea cual sea' is used for 'whichever' among a selection of options.
Tarde lo que tarde en explicarse, te escucharé antes de que decidamos qué hacer.
However long it takes to explain, I will listen before we decide what to do.
A concise construction using the verb 'tardar' in the subjunctive to denote duration.
Hear these phrases and practise them
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Try it free for 7 daysKey words
Paga
Pocket money / Allowance
Commonly used in Spain; 'mesada' is more common in Latin America.
Intercambio
Swap / Exchange
Often used for trading cards or toys on the playground.
De confianza
Trusted / Reliable
Literally 'of trust', used to describe people the child can rely on.
Ir a parar
To end up
Used for objects that have been lost or misplaced.
Unconditional Free-Choice Clauses
In Spanish, English '...ever' words are typically formed using the subjunctive. These express that the outcome remains the same regardless of which specific possibility is true.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Whatever | Sea lo que sea / Pase lo que pase | Pase lo que pase, te quiero. |
| However (Adj) | Por muy + [Adj] + que + Subj | Por muy difícil que sea... |
| Wherever | Dondequiera que + Subj | Dondequiera que estés. |
More examples
Digas lo que digas, no me enfadaré.
Whatever you say, I won't get angry.
A common structure repeating the verb in the subjunctive (Digas... digas).
Hagas lo que hagas, hazlo con cuidado.
Whatever you do, do it carefully.
Uses 'hacer' to cover any future action.