Hablan con la hermana en la escuela.

They talk with the sister at the school.

Breakdown of Hablan con la hermana en la escuela.

• con: with
• la escuela: the school
• ellos: they
• la hermana: the sister
• hablar: to talk

Questions & Answers about Hablan con la hermana en la escuela.

Why is hablan used here and not habla or hablamos?

In Latin American Spanish, hablan is the third-person plural form of the verb hablar. It can refer to ellos, ellas, or ustedes (meaning they or you all). We don’t see a pronoun in the sentence because in Spanish it’s common to omit it when the context makes the subject clear. If we said hablamos, that would be the first-person plural (we speak), and habla would be third-person singular or the formal Usted form (he/she speaks or you speak).

What does la hermana mean here? Whose sister is it?

La hermana literally means the sister. The definite article (la) is often used in Spanish to talk about family members even when it might feel natural in English to say her sister or their sister. The exact relationship (whose sister it is) might be inferred from context. If you needed to specify, you could use su hermana (his/her/your sister) or la hermana de él/ella (his/her sister) for clarity.

Why do we say con la hermana instead of con su hermana?

In Spanish, the use of definite articles is more flexible than in English, especially with body parts or family members. Context often makes it clear whose sister is being referred to, so la hermana is enough. Using su hermana is also acceptable if you want to emphasize possession, but it’s not always necessary.

Is there any special rule about the word en here?

En typically means in, on, or at depending on context. Here, en la escuela translates to at school in English. Spanish can sometimes use en where English would use at.

How can I tell who the speaker is talking about if ellos, ellas, or ustedes isn’t mentioned?

In Spanish, the subject pronoun is often omitted because the verb form indicates who is performing the action. Hablan tells us it’s a plural subject. The context or prior conversation usually clarifies if it’s they or you (plural). If you need to be explicit, you can include ellos, ellas, or ustedes.