La vaca nos da leche fresca, mientras que el cerdo come mucha comida sobrante.

the food

Breakdown of La vaca nos da leche fresca, mientras que el cerdo come mucha comida sobrante.

• comer: to eat
• mientras que: while
• mucha: a lot of
• la vaca: the cow
• el cerdo: the pig
• nos: us
• dar: to give
• la leche: the milk
• fresco: fresh
• sobrante: leftover

Questions & Answers about La vaca nos da leche fresca, mientras que el cerdo come mucha comida sobrante.

Why is the feminine article la used with vaca instead of the masculine article el?

In Spanish, vaca (cow) is a feminine noun, so you must use the feminine article la. Any noun referring to a female animal (like a cow) typically takes la.

What does nos da mean literally, and why is it used here?

Nos da literally translates as gives us. Here, nos (us) is the indirect object, telling us that the cow (la vaca) gives something to us—in this case, fresh milk (leche fresca).

What is the difference between mientras and mientras que in Spanish?

Both roughly translate to while in English. Mientras can be used on its own, but mientras que often emphasizes a contrast between two actions or situations. In the sentence, mientras que highlights the contrast between what the cow does (provides fresh milk) and what the pig does (eats a lot of leftover food).

Why do we say mucha comida sobrante and not mucho comida sobrante?

In Spanish, adjectives and quantity words agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe. Comida is a feminine noun, so mucha must also be in feminine form.

What does sobrante mean, and why is it placed after comida?

Sobrante means leftover or surplus. In Spanish, most descriptive adjectives (like sobrante) go after the noun (here, comida). Some adjectives can come before the noun, but many, especially those that describe qualities or characteristics, usually come after.