Mi perro duerme enfrente de la puerta.

My dog sleeps in front of the door.

Breakdown of Mi perro duerme enfrente de la puerta.

• mi: my
• el perro: the dog
• dormir: to sleep
• la puerta: the door
• enfrente de: in front of

Questions & Answers about Mi perro duerme enfrente de la puerta.

Why do we use Mi instead of El or nothing before perro?

Mi is a possessive adjective that means my. Since you’re talking about your own dog, you use mi rather than just saying el perro (the dog) or leaving it out altogether.

What is the difference between duerme and está durmiendo?

Duerme is the third-person singular present tense of dormir, which describes a habitual or general action (e.g., your dog sleeps in front of the door). Está durmiendo would emphasize that the dog is sleeping right at this moment, focusing on the ongoing action.

What does enfrente de mean, and can I say delante de?

Enfrente de means in front of. You can also use delante de, which often carries the same meaning. In some contexts, delante de might imply just ahead, while enfrente de can suggest being directly across from something. But in most everyday contexts, they can be used quite similarly.

Why do we say de la puerta instead of a la puerta?

When indicating position in front of something in Spanish, you typically use enfrente de (literally “in front of”) plus la puerta. If you used a la puerta, it might suggest movement or direction toward the door, rather than a static location in front of it.

Why is it Mi perro duerme enfrente de la puerta and not Mi perro está enfrente de la puerta?

Duerme highlights the action of sleeping. If you said Mi perro está enfrente de la puerta, you'd simply be stating the dog’s location. By using duerme, you're focusing on the fact that the dog is sleeping there as well as its location.