CH1 Present indicative as future
I assume that "No regresas" = You will not return. (you don't return) just as "No regreses" is "don't come back". Therefore it seems that "No regresas" = "No regresarás a mí".
4 Answers
Debunking misconceptions
The so called present tense in Spanish is the least specific tense when it comes to locating actions in time. It is easily used for actions that can happen in the past, present and future, but ironically, it it not normally used for progressive actions happening right now:
Julio César invade las galias en el 51 a. C.
Estudio en la universidad.
Me jubilo dentro de 20 años.
The present tense is used for things that you hold as certain, while the future tense is used for approximations that you make which still have to be checked to be completely true. If you still have to check something, that can only be done in the future, which is why the future tense often -but not always- refers to future events. If a speaker is certain that he will buy car your car, present tense is a perfect choice of tense.
Having heard the song, I think it could just as easily be 'You're not coming back'
You ain't comin' back?
I don't think it is necessarily talking about the future.
I mean, using the present simple for future plans is quite usual. Mañana me voy a Paris y no vuelvo hasta el miécoles.
However, I don't think Juanes is talking about what you won't do, but about a fact: you left and don't come back because I hurt you. I think Juanes still has the hope that that person come back in a future.
I was always confused about this. In Spain they put flyers on the car windows that say "Compro tu coche" I asked my boyfriend what it meant and he said "we will buy your car" Because I was just beginning I was wondering why on earth they used the present indicative for the future tenses.
