Recuerdos buenos son importantes para mi familia.

Good memories are important for my family.

Breakdown of Recuerdos buenos son importantes para mi familia.

• ser: to be
• mi: my
• la familia: the family
• para: for
• importante: important
• el recuerdo: the memory
• bueno: good

Questions & Answers about Recuerdos buenos son importantes para mi familia.

Why is the adjective buenos placed after recuerdos instead of before it?

In Spanish, the adjective can appear either before or after the noun. Saying buenos recuerdos is very common and means much the same as recuerdos buenos. However, placing the adjective after the noun can give a slightly more descriptive or explanatory feel, emphasizing the quality of the memories. Both forms are grammatically correct and used in everyday speech.

Why do we use son (from the verb ser) instead of están (from estar) in this sentence?

In Spanish, ser is typically used for essential qualities, descriptions, professions, and permanent or characteristic traits. Estar is used more for states, locations, and temporary conditions. Here, describing memories as important is seen as an inherent, more permanent quality, so son is the appropriate choice.

Why is the adjective buenos masculine and plural?

Recuerdos is a masculine, plural noun, so the adjective that modifies it also needs to be masculine and plural. In Spanish, the adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies, so buenos matches recuerdos.

Can I use memorias instead of recuerdos to talk about memories?

While memorias can mean “memories,” it often has a slightly more formal or literary tone and can also refer to memoirs or personal writings. Recuerdos is more commonly used in everyday conversation to mean memories in the general sense.

Why do we say para mi familia instead of a mi familia?

In Spanish, para generally indicates purpose, destination, or who something is meant for. Since the sentence is about the importance of good memories for one’s family, para is correct to convey that these memories are important for the family. Using a would imply direction or motion toward the family, which is not the intended meaning here.