Haz de cuenta que

This one’s SUPER common in Mexico, and it’s actually a phrase that I puzzled over for years! I remember asking a pal what it meant and being told that it’s basically a way of setting up a hypothetical situation… but I was sure that there was a bit more to it than that! Turns out, you CAN use it to set up a hypothetical situation (a bit like the English picture this or imagine that), but you’ll also hear it in other contexts too! 👉 picture this / imagine that 💡 You’ll normally hear haz de cuenta que used with the indicative, NOT the subjunctive. Why? Because the indicative makes the situation feel more real, like you're stepping inside the scene. The subjunctive makes it sound more detached and hypothetical. And for storytelling we want vivid! You’ll hear native speakers telling stories in the present tense for the exact same reason!