Introduction to Building Sentences in Spanish
Introduction to Building Sentences in Spanish
Now that you’ve learned how to conjugate verbs in the present tense, it's time to put them into action by forming complete sentences. In this chapter, we will cover the fundamental structure of Spanish sentences, the use of nouns and articles, subject-verb-object order, and how to form basic questions. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to construct meaningful sentences to communicate effectively at Ritmo del Río.
3.1 Spanish Sentence Structure
Spanish follows a typical Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) sentence structure, just like English. However, due to verb conjugations, word order can sometimes be more flexible than in English.
Examples:
Mateo recoge frutas en la finca. (Mateo picks fruits on the farm.)
Los huéspedes descansan en las hamacas. (The guests rest in the hammocks.)
Tú tomas fotos de las aves en la selva. (You take pictures of the birds in the jungle.)
Activity: Write three simple sentences describing activities at Ritmo del Río.
3.2 Nouns and Articles
Gender of Nouns
Spanish nouns are either masculine or feminine. In general:
Masculine nouns often end in -o: el sendero (the trail), el río (the river).
Feminine nouns often end in -a: la naturaleza (nature), la fogata (the campfire).
Some nouns do not follow this pattern and must be memorized: el mapa (the map), la mano (the hand).
Definite and Indefinite Articles
Article Type
Masculine
Feminine
Definite (the)
el sendero, el río
la naturaleza, la fogata
Indefinite (a, an)
un sendero, un río
una naturaleza, una fogata
Exceptions in Gender Rules
While most nouns follow the standard -o for masculine and -a for feminine rule, some exceptions occur:
Masculine nouns that start with a stressed 'a' or 'ha' use 'el' in the singular for ease of pronunciation but remain feminine:
el agua (water) → las aguas
el hacha (axe) → las hachas
el águila (eagle) → las águilas
Some masculine nouns end in -a:
el día (day)
el mapa (map)
el planeta (planet)
Some feminine nouns end in -o:
la mano (hand)
la radio (radio)
Nouns ending in -e can be either gender:
el coche (car)
la calle (street)
3.3 Forming Basic Sentences
To create sentences, follow this pattern: [Subject] + [Verb] + [Object]
Examples:
Camila limpia las cabañas. (Camila cleans the cabins.)
Los viajeros exploran las cascadas. (The travelers explore the waterfalls.)
Nosotros cocinamos comida tradicional. (We cook traditional food.)
Activity: Write three sentences using this structure with activities at Ritmo del Río.
3.4 Forming Yes/No Questions
In Spanish, yes/no questions are formed by simply raising intonation when speaking or inverting the subject and verb in writing.
Examples:
¿Pedro recoge café en la finca? (Does Pedro pick coffee on the farm?)
¿Ustedes usan protector solar en las caminatas? (Do you use sunscreen on hikes?)
¿Vamos al río después del desayuno? (Are we going to the river after breakfast?)
3.5 Question Words
To ask for specific information, use these question words:
¿Qué?
What?
¿Qué ingredientes tiene la sopa? (What ingredients does the soup have?)
¿Quién?
Who?
¿Quién es el guía del tour? (Who is the tour guide?)
¿Dónde?
Where?
¿Dónde guardamos las mochilas? (Where do we store the backpacks?)
¿Cuándo?
When?
¿Cuándo empieza la caminata? (When does the hike start?)
¿Por qué?
Why?
¿Por qué debemos proteger la selva? (Why should we protect the jungle?)
¿Cómo?
How?
¿Cómo se prepara el chocolate artesanal? (How is artisanal chocolate prepared?)
Activity: Write three questions using different question words about Ritmo del Río.
Chapter Summary
Spanish sentences typically follow Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order.
Nouns have gender (masculine or feminine) and require definite or indefinite articles.
Some nouns have exceptions to gender rules, especially words that start with a stressed 'a' or end in -e.
Yes/no questions can be formed by intonation or inverting the subject and verb.
Question words help ask for information.
Final Activity: Real-World Application
Challenge: Go around Ritmo del Río and ask three different people questions using ¿Dónde?, ¿Cuándo?, and ¿Qué?. Write down their answers.
Next Chapter: Now that you can build simple sentences, we will explore stem-changing verbs and spelling changes in the present tense to expand your vocabulary and fluency!
