Tengo una silla pequeña.

the chair

Breakdown of Tengo una silla pequeña.

• pequeño: small
• yo: I
• tener: to have

Questions & Answers about Tengo una silla pequeña.

Why is the adjective pequeña placed after the noun silla in Spanish rather than before it, as in English?

In Spanish, most adjectives follow the noun. While English usually places the adjective before the noun ("small chair"), Spanish typically uses "silla pequeña" (literally "chair small"). This is the standard position for descriptive adjectives in Spanish.

What does "una" mean, and why is it used here?

Una means "a" or "one" in English. It is the feminine singular indefinite article, matching silla, which is a feminine noun. So you say una silla instead of un silla because silla is feminine.

Why is the adjective pequeña written with an -a instead of -o?

Adjectives in Spanish have to match the gender (and number) of the noun they describe. Silla is singular and feminine, so you use the feminine singular form pequeña instead of pequeño.

Is there a difference between using pequeña and chica to say "small"?

Both pequeña and chica can mean "small." Pequeña is more general, while chica can carry a slightly more informal or colloquial tone, depending on the region. However, both are commonly understood to mean "small."

How do I pronounce pequeña correctly?

Break it down into pe- (like "peh"), que- (like "keh"), and -ña (the ñ makes a "ny" sound, so it’s like "nyah"): "peh-KEH-nyah."