Ya sea/ya fuera... o... to express whether... or...

Question 1

In Spanish we can express a choice between two alternatives by using the conjunctions:

Answer 1

ya sea…/ya fuera… + o…
ya sea with actions that refer to the present or the future
ya fuera with actions that refer to the past.

Sometimes “ya” is omitted, and the structure admits some flexibility, for example, you can also use:

sea. .., sea…
fuera. ..,fuera…
sea. .., o…
fuera. ..,o…

Note that “sea” and “fuera” agree with what they refer to, i.e. they change to the plural form “sean” and “fueran” if what follows is a plural noun or plural adjective. For example:

Question 2

I have no alternative but to pay the fine, either in one go or in instalments.

Answer 2

No tengo más remedio que pagar la multa, ya sea todo de golpe o a plazos.

Question 3

You need to eat something light, either an omelette or a salad.

Answer 3

Tienes que comer algo ligero, ya sea una tortilla o una ensalada.

Question 4

I had to get a job, either a day job or a night job.

Answer 4

Tenía que conseguir cualquier trabajo, ya fuera de día o de noche.

Question 5

I told you my son would go to university, be it by choice or by obligation.

Answer 5

Te dije que mi hijo iba a la universidad, ya fuera de forma voluntaria u obligada.

Question 6

Whether driven by money or by love, she will end up marrying him.

Answer 6

Sea por dinero o por amor, ella terminará casándose con él.

Question 7

Whether intentionally or by accident, the thing is they destroyed my car.

Answer 7

Fuera intencionado, fuera accidental, el caso es que me han destrozado el coche.

Question 8

Maribel likes strong men, whether they are short or tall [lit: tall or short].

Answer 8

A Maribel le gustan los hombres fuertes, ya sean altos o bajos.

Question 9

They were all welcome to the sewing workshop, whether they were boys or girls.

Answer 9

Todos eran bienvenidos al taller de costura, fueran chicos o chicas.