Topic 1
The anatomy of a Spanish sentence
The rule, in plain English
Spanish sentences are built from the same parts of speech as English — nouns, articles, adjectives, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions — but they are assembled differently. Adjectives usually follow the noun, the subject can move around or disappear, and questions are formed by inversion and tone rather than helper verbs.
Why it's hard for English speakers
English fixes word order to show meaning ("dog bites man" ≠ "man bites dog"). Spanish leans on verb endings and gender, so it can move words that English must keep put — which feels unstable until you trust the endings.
Adjective goes AFTER the noun
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| the red car | el coche rojo |
| a big house | una casa grande |
| an interesting book | un libro interesante |
Examples
- El perro come.The dog eats. (subject–verb)
- Come el perro.The dog eats. (verb–subject, also fine)
- (Yo) hablo español.I speak Spanish. (subject often dropped)
- ¿Habla usted inglés?Do you speak English? (inversion for questions)
Common mistakes
- el rojo cocheel coche rojoMost adjectives follow the noun.
- Yo soy hablo español(Yo) hablo españolOne conjugated verb is enough — don't add 'soy'.
Practice
Exercises: 0 / 0 correct
Which is correct?
Order it: (interesante / un / libro) → ___
The subject 'yo' in 'Yo hablo' is…
Make a question: 'Usted habla inglés' → ¿___ usted inglés?