Nadar en el mar puede ser una experiencia inolvidable.

to be

Breakdown of Nadar en el mar puede ser una experiencia inolvidable.

• en: in
• el mar: the sea
• nadar: swimming
• poder: can
• la experiencia: the experience
• inolvidable: unforgettable

Questions & Answers about Nadar en el mar puede ser una experiencia inolvidable.

Why is nadar used in the infinitive form here, instead of a conjugated verb like nado or nadamos?

In Spanish, when a verb is the subject of a sentence (i.e., when the action itself is being talked about as a concept), it typically remains in the infinitive form. Here, nadar is functioning as the subject: Nadar en el mar (Swimming in the sea) is what puede ser (can be) an experiencia inolvidable (unforgettable experience).

What does puede ser add to the sentence, as opposed to simply saying Nadar en el mar es una experiencia inolvidable?

Puede ser introduces the idea that it can be an unforgettable experience, rather than stating it always is that way. This nuance suggests that, while many people might consider it an unforgettable experience, there's a possibility that experiences differ from person to person.

Why do we use en for nadar en el mar, and not another preposition like a or por?

In Spanish, en is used to indicate location or the place where something is happening. Saying nadar en el mar conveys that the swimming takes place in or within the sea. Different prepositions like a or por have different meanings and wouldn’t fit the idea of being in the water.

Does inolvidable change form based on gender or number?

No, inolvidable is an adjective that ends in -e. Words ending in -e or -l in Spanish typically don’t change for masculine or feminine forms. If you refer to multiple experiences, you would say experiencias inolvidables (plural) because adjectives agree in number, though not in gender in this case.

Is there a difference between saying el mar and la mar?

In standard Latin American Spanish, el mar is by far the most common way to say "the sea." La mar is often heard in certain poetic or traditional contexts, and sometimes in coastal or maritime regions, but it’s less common in everyday speech. The meaning remains the same, though.