How To Use Sin in Spanish

How To Use 'Sin' in Spanish The Spanish preposition sin generally means without and thus can be thought of as the opposite of con (with). For English speakers, its use is generally straightforward, the main difference being that it usually is not followed by an indefinite article (un or una, meaning a). Here are some examples of its use: Para el paciente sin esperanza, no existe futuro. (For the patient without hope, a future does not exist.)Nunca conduzco sin gafas. (I never drive without glasses.)Daniela no podr ir a la escuela sin computadora. (Daniela will not be able to go to the school without a computer.)Cuando la gente vive sin felicidad, no temern a la muerte. (When people live without happiness, they will not fear death.)Hay muchos hogares sin telà ©fono. (There are many homes without a telephone.) Sometimes phrases using sin are better translated using the English suffix -less or -free: Las parejas sin hijos sufren muchas crà ­ticas. (Childless couples receive much criticism.)Los diamantes sin defectos son extremadamente raros. (Flawless diamonds are very unusual.) ¿Son los refrescos sin azà ºcar la solucià ³n al problema? (Are sugar-free drinks the solution to the problem?) Fast Facts Sin is usually the equivalent of without in English.When sin is followed by a noun object, it is seldom necessary to place an un or una before the noun, although one is sometimes used for emphasis.Sin is frequently used in phrases, most of whose meanings can be determined by translating the other words in the phrase. When to Use an Indefinite Article With Sin If the indefinite article is used after sin, it often is done for emphasis. Also, if the object (the noun after sin) is followed by an adjective or a clause, the indefinite article is often used: Yo estaba en Mà ©xico sin un centavo. (I was in Mexico without a single cent.)Se fue sin un adià ³s. (He left without even saying goodbye.)No hay democracia sin un orden social liberal. (There is no democracy without a liberal social order.)La clonacià ³n de un dinosaurio serà ­a imposible sin un à ³vulo de dinosaurio intacto. (The cloning of a dinosaur would be impossible without an intact dinosaur egg.) Following Sin With Infinitives When sin is followed by a verb, nearly always the infinitive form is used. Note how these sentences are translated to Spanish. In particular, the final two examples use sin in a way that without is not used in English: Tengo que aprender a vivir sin fumar. (I need to learn to live without smoking.)Aprender sin pensar es inà ºtil. (Learning without thinking is useless.)Sin leer es imposible escribir bien. (Without reading it is impossible to write well.)Hay muchas lecciones sin aprender. (There are many unlearned lessons.)La lata sin abrir puede durar hasta 12 meses. (An unopened can can last for 12 months.) Phrases Using Sin Dozens of phrases use sin. Heres a sampling: asociacià ³n civil sin fines de lucro, organizacià ³n sin fines de lucro - nonprofit organization aun sin : Cuando uno es inteligente, aun sin estudiar puede pasar con 100. (Someone intelligent can pass with a 100 even without studying.) ausente sin aviso - absent without permission barril sin fondo, pozo sin fondo - bottomless pit (usually used figuratively) callejà ³n sin salida - dead-end street (can be used figuratively) dejar sin efecto - to invalidate, to render useless estar sin blanca, estar sin un cobre - to be penniless or broke sin motivo - for no good reason, for no known reason misterio sin resolver - unsolved mystery quedarse sin nada : La atleta puso todo pero se quedà ³Ã‚  sin nada. (The athlete gave it her all but ended up with nothing.) quedarse sin palabras - to be at a loss for words repetir sin parar - to say over and over again sin asombro - surprisingly sin cesar - without stopping, continuously sin compromiso - without any obligation sin contar con - to ignore possible consequences, to not take into account sin coste - free, without charge sin defensa - defenseless sin direccià ³n, sin rumbo - aimless, without goals sin duda - without a doubt, undoubtedly sin ganas - enenthusiastically, unwillingly sin hacer - undone sin otro particular - without further ado sin par - unique, without an equal sin pensar - without thinking sin razà ³n - with no reason sin tardar - immediately, without delay sin ton ni son - without rhyme or reason viaje sin retorno - one-way trip vivir sin : No puedo vivir con ti. (I cant live without you.)