Es necesario descansar después de estudiar.

to be

Breakdown of Es necesario descansar después de estudiar.

• descansar: to rest
• después de: after
• estudiar: to study
• necesario: necessary

Questions & Answers about Es necesario descansar después de estudiar.

Why do we use es instead of está in Es necesario descansar después de estudiar?

In Spanish, when we express a general necessity or state something that is universally applicable—like “it is necessary”—we use ser. The verb estar is typically used for temporary states, locations, or conditions. Hence, es necesario (with ser) conveys a more general, impersonal statement.

Why is descansar in the infinitive form?

After es necesario, we typically use an infinitive to describe what is necessary. In Spanish, infinitives function like nouns in these kinds of impersonal statements. Also, the phrase después de requires an infinitive if another verb follows, so descansar remains in its base form.

What does después de literally mean, and how does it work?

Después de literally means after in English. When it’s followed by a verb, that verb must be in the infinitive form. So here, después de estudiar means after studying. This construction is consistent with other Spanish phrases like antes de (before doing something), which also require an infinitive.

Could I say Hay que descansar después de estudiar instead?

Yes, you can. Hay que descansar is another common way to say It’s necessary to rest or One must rest. It’s also an impersonal expression in Spanish, but the meaning is very similar to Es necesario descansar.

Why isn’t there a subject like tú or yo in the sentence?

Phrases like Es necesario or Hay que are impersonal in Spanish. They point to a general statement rather than a specific person. The sentence implies all learners or everyone. If you want to add a subject, you could say something like Tú necesitas descansar después de estudiar, but that changes it to a direct address rather than an impersonal statement.