Cuando pueda/puedo bailar (Subjuntivo)
Help me please with the subjunctive. 'When can I see you dancing?' - 'When I can dance better' Cuando puedo (o pueda?) bailar mejor. Thank you.
3 Answers
The meaning is: You will see me dancing only when I can dance better, not earlier. For example, if I am learning to dance but I can't do it well yet. I am not sure about the use of subjunctive in the answer: (Only) when I can dance better.
I know what you mean, but I am trying to explain to you how the subjunctive works. Look at these two sentences:
(1) I always bring flowers when I see her.
(2) I will bring flowers when I see her.
In the first one, I can say "I see her" (often, all the time...) independently, so indicative is fine, because I mean those words in the clause on their own. In the second one, however, I don't mean to say "I see her", which is something that is true now or regularly, but a future action, so you can't use indicative in Spanish, because you don't mean those words as they are stated -you must use subjunctive.
Let's go back to "... when I dance better". Do you mean the words "I dance better" as they are stated? No! Because you don't dance better yet. You may or may not dance better in the future, but your words "I dance better" make no sense on their own. If they don't make sense, you can't use indicative, you are not indicating anything.
Does it make sense?
"Puedo" is indicative, which means that if someone hears that word, if means that you are informing others that you can do something. Is that what you want to say in your answer? The last part of your sentence says, literally: "I can dance better" Is that what you mean to say? No? Then use subjunctive.
Cuándo puedo verte bailando? Cuándo pueda bailar mejor?
