El ejercicio es importante para la salud.

to be

Breakdown of El ejercicio es importante para la salud.

• para: for
• importante: important
• la salud: the health
• el ejercicio: the exercise

Questions & Answers about El ejercicio es importante para la salud.

Why is the word “el” used before “ejercicio”?

In Spanish, when talking about something in a general sense (like “exercise” in English), we often use the definite article (el, la, los, las). Saying “El ejercicio es importante…” is more natural in Spanish than simply “Ejercicio es importante…”, which would sound incomplete or too abrupt to native speakers.

Why do we say “para la salud” instead of “por la salud”?

In Spanish, “para” often indicates a purpose or goal, so “para la salud” implies that the purpose of exercising is to benefit health. Meanwhile, “por” can mean “because of” or denote a motive or reason, but in this context, we want to focus on the benefit or purpose, which is why “para” is correct.

How is the “c” in “ejercicio” pronounced in Latin American Spanish?

In most of Latin America, the c before i and e is pronounced like the English s. So “ejercicio” is pronounced roughly like eh-hehr-SEE-see-oh (though the exact pronunciation may vary slightly by region).

Why is “la salud” used here instead of just “salud”?

As with “el ejercicio,” Spanish tends to use definite articles before nouns in cases where English might not. “La salud” is the general concept of health, and the phrase “para la salud” is the standard way of saying for your health or for one’s health. It sounds more complete and natural in Spanish to include la.