Sep 12, 2026·1 min read·Graded Spanish · word-by-word audio
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El agua dura tiene más minerales disueltos, sobre todo calcio y magnesio. Estos minerales están de forma natural en el agua, especialmente en la que no es agua de lluvia. Cuando el agua pasa por el suelo y las rocas, los minerales se disuelven en ella y siguen allí cuando sale del grifo. ¿Cómo sabes si vives en una zona de agua dura?
Lavarse el pelo con agua dura puede dejar depósitos minerales en el cabello. Según algunos expertos, esto hace que el pelo tenga un aspecto más apagado y un tacto más áspero. Hay pruebas de que el calcio y el magnesio pueden acumularse en el pelo lavado con agua dura.
Sin embargo, eliminar esta acumulación puede causar problemas, especialmente para quienes tienen el pelo seco o quebradizo. Los mejores champús para esto son los que hacen mucha espuma y contienen sulfatos, pero pueden ser agresivos para ese tipo de cabello. Si vives en una zona con agua dura y notas que tu cabello se vuelve más seco, Tobin recomienda instalar un descalcificador de agua en casa.
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Watch out, English speaker
Spanish si clauses with the present indicative can express real conditions, but English often uses 'if' with the present tense too. However, Spanish allows the main clause to be in the present, future, or imperative, while English typically uses 'will' or modal verbs. For example, 'Si vives en una zona con agua dura...' translates as 'If you live in a hard water area...', but the main clause 'Tobin recomienda' is present tense, which is fine in English as well. The trap is that English speakers might incorrectly use the subjunctive after 'si' due to interference from other languages, but Spanish never uses the subjunctive after 'si' in real conditions.
Spanish 'hacer que' + subjunctive is used to express causation, meaning 'to make something happen'. English speakers might try to use the infinitive after 'make', as in 'This makes the hair have a duller look', but in Spanish, the subjunctive is required: 'Esto hace que el pelo tenga...'. The trap is that English allows 'make + object + infinitive' (e.g., 'This makes the hair look dull'), so learners may forget to switch to the subjunctive in Spanish. Remember that 'hacer que' always triggers the subjunctive because it implies influence or cause.
Key vocabulary
duroadj.
hard; containing many minerals
“El agua dura tiene más minerales disueltos.”— Hard water has more dissolved minerals.
Pattern agua dura hard water
Compare hard: rígido (hard)
feminine dura, plural duros/duros
💡 agua dura is a fixed collocation, referring to water with a high content of calcium and magnesium ions, not 'hard water'.
mineralm.
mineral
“Estos minerales están de forma natural en el agua.”— These minerals are naturally present in water.
Pattern minerales disueltos dissolved minerals
plural minerales
💡 From Latin mineralis, related to mina (mine).
disolverv.
to dissolve
“Los minerales se disuelven en el agua.”— Minerals dissolve in water.
Pattern disolverse en agua dissolve in water
Compare dissolve: diluir (dilute)
se disuelve (third person singular), se disuelven (plural)
💡 Note the conjugation: o→ue, disuelvo, disuelves, disuelve.
jabónm.
soap
“Si el jabón hace poca espuma, estás en una zona de agua dura.”— If the soap produces little lather, you are in a hard water area.
Pattern hacer espuma el jabón soap lathers
plural jabones
💡 Related to jabonera (soap dish), note the stress on the last syllable.
espumaf.
foam, lather
“El jabón hace poca espuma en agua dura.”— Soap produces little lather in hard water.
Pattern hacer espuma lather
Compare foam: burbuja (bubble)
plural espumas
💡 espuma refers to a layer of foam, burbuja refers to a single bubble; note the distinction.
depósitom.
deposit
“Lavarse el pelo con agua dura puede dejar depósitos minerales.”— Washing your hair with hard water can leave mineral deposits.
Pattern depósitos minerales mineral deposits
Compare deposit: sedimento (sediment)
plural depósitos
💡 From Latin depositum, meaning 'something placed'.
apagadoadj.
dull
“El pelo tiene un aspecto más apagado.”— The hair has a duller appearance.
Pattern aspecto apagado dull appearance
Compare dull: opaco (opaque)
feminine apagada, plural apagados/apagadas
💡 From the verb apagar (to extinguish), extended to mean 'dim'.
ásperoadj.
rough
“El pelo tiene un tacto más áspero.”— The hair feels rougher.
Pattern tacto áspero rough texture
Compare rough: rugoso (rough)
feminine áspera, plural ásperos/ásperas
💡 Note the stress on the first syllable; do not pronounce it as as-pe-ro.
acumularv.
to accumulate
“El calcio y el magnesio pueden acumularse en el pelo.”— Calcium and magnesium can accumulate in the hair.
Pattern acumularse en el pelo accumulate in the hair
Compare accumulate: juntar (gather)
se acumula (third person singular), se acumulan (plural)
💡 The noun acumulación (accumulation) is also common.
quebradizoadj.
brittle, breakable
“Especialmente para quienes tienen el pelo seco o quebradizo.”— Especially for those with dry or brittle hair.
💡 From quebrar (to break), -izo means 'prone to...'.
champúm.
shampoo
“Los mejores champús para esto son los que hacen mucha espuma.”— The best shampoos for this are those that lather a lot.
Pattern champú con sulfatos sulfate shampoo
plural champús
💡 From English shampoo, note the stress on the last syllable.
descalcificadorm.
water softener
“Tobin recomienda instalar un descalcificador de agua en casa.”— Tobin recommends installing a water softener at home.
Pattern instalar un descalcificador install a water softener
plural descalcificadores
💡 From des- (remove) + calcio (calcium), i.e. 'device that removes calcium'.
Grammar spotlight
Conditional sentences: si + present indicative
A2
Use si to introduce a real conditional sentence, meaning 'if... then...'. The si clause uses the present tense, and the main clause can also be in the present, future, or imperative.
“Si vives en una zona con agua dura y notas que tu cabello se vuelve más seco, Tobin recomienda instalar un descalcificador.”— If you live in a hard water area and notice that your hair becomes drier, Tobin recommends installing a water softener.
⚠️ You cannot use the future tense in the si clause; you cannot say si vivirás, you must use si vives.
hacer que + subjunctive
B1
hacer que means 'to make (something happen)' and is followed by the subjunctive in the dependent clause because it expresses causation or influence.
“Esto hace que el pelo tenga un aspecto más apagado.”— This makes the hair look duller.
⚠️ After hacer que, you must use the subjunctive; you cannot use tiene, you must use tenga.
Sentence patterns to steal
El agua dura tiene más minerales disueltos, sobre todo calcio y magnesio.
Hard water contains more dissolved minerals, especially calcium and magnesium.
El/La + noun + tiene más + noun + , sobre todo + exampleYou can replace the topic noun and the specific example, e.g., El café tiene más antioxidantes, sobre todo...
Si el jabón hace poca espuma y cuesta mucho formar burbujas, estás en una zona de agua dura.
If the soap produces little lather and it's hard to form bubbles, you're in a hard water area.
Si + condition, + resultYou can replace the condition and the result, e.g., Si el cielo está gris y hace viento, va a llover.
Lavarse el pelo con agua dura puede dejar depósitos minerales en el cabello.
Washing your hair with hard water can leave mineral deposits on your hair.
Hacer algo puede dejar + noun + en + placeYou can replace the action and the result, e.g., Comer dulces puede dejar manchas en los dientes.
Sin embargo, eliminar esta acumulación puede causar problemas, especialmente para quienes tienen el pelo seco o quebradizo.
However, removing this buildup can cause problems, especially for those with dry or brittle hair.
Sin embargo, + action + puede causar problemas, especialmente para quienes...You can replace the action and the affected group, e.g., Sin embargo, limpiar demasiado puede causar problemas, especialmente para quienes tienen la piel sensible.
Hard Water and Soft Water
Hard water is water that contains a high concentration of calcium and magnesium ions, usually from groundwater that has passed through rocks such as limestone. Soft water, on the other hand, contains fewer minerals. In some parts of Europe, such as southern England and eastern Spain, hard water is very common. Hard water is safe to drink, but it leaves limescale in kettles and pipes.