La costumbre de tomar café muy tarde no es saludable, según mi hermana.

The habit of drinking coffee very late is not healthy, according to my sister.

Breakdown of La costumbre de tomar café muy tarde no es saludable, según mi hermana.

• ser: to be
• mi: my
• muy: very
• de: of
• el café: the coffee
• la hermana: the sister
• tarde: late
• según: according to
• saludable: healthy
• la costumbre: the habit
• tomar: to drink

Questions & Answers about La costumbre de tomar café muy tarde no es saludable, según mi hermana.

Why do we say La costumbre de tomar café with de before the infinitive tomar?

In Spanish, certain nouns like costumbre (habit), ganas (desire), or miedo (fear) are typically followed by de when linking to an infinitive. In this case, La costumbre de tomar café indicates the habit of drinking coffee, and the de is needed to connect the noun costumbre with the action tomar café.

Could we use beber café instead of tomar café in this sentence?

Yes, beber and tomar both mean to drink, so they can generally be used interchangeably. In Latin America, tomar is often used in everyday speech for to drink, whereas beber can sound slightly more formal or bookish. However, both are correct.

Why is según mi hermana placed at the end instead of the beginning?

The phrase según mi hermana (according to my sister) can appear at the beginning or end of the sentence without changing the essential meaning. Spanish word order can be flexible, especially for phrases that provide additional information about the source or opinion. Placing it at the end can emphasize the opinion part.

Why do we say no es saludable instead of no es sano?

Saludable and sano both mean healthy, but saludable often refers to actions, habits, or foods that contribute to good health (similar to healthy in English: healthy habit). Sano can be used for health in a more general sense. In this context, no es saludable focuses on the habit and its effect on well-being.

When should I use an article like la in expressions such as la costumbre?

In Spanish, abstract nouns or general concepts (like habits, love, fear, etc.) usually require a definite article. La costumbre refers to a general, specific habit the speaker has in mind. Without la, it would sound incomplete in Spanish because nouns are rarely left bare in these contexts.