Breakdown of La cosa importante es mantener la casa limpia.
ser
to be
importante
important
la casa
the house
mantener
to keep
limpio
clean
la cosa
the thing
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“How does verb conjugation work in Spanish?”
Spanish verbs change form based on the subject, tense, and mood. Regular verbs follow predictable patterns depending on whether they end in ‑ar, ‑er, or ‑ir. For example, "hablar" (to speak) becomes "hablo" (I speak), "hablas" (you speak), and "habla" (he/she speaks) in the present tense.
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Questions & Answers about La cosa importante es mantener la casa limpia.
Why is importante used in the singular instead of importantes?
In Spanish, importante remains the same in both singular and plural forms for masculine and feminine nouns. Here, it modifies cosa, which is singular, so importante is used in its singular form.
Why is mantener in the infinitive form?
After the verb es, we often use an infinitive to express a general activity or concept. In this case, mantener acts like a noun phrase describing what the important thing is (i.e., the important thing is to maintain).
Why do we say la casa limpia instead of la casa limpio?
Because casa is a feminine noun in Spanish, the adjective must agree in gender. Limpia is the feminine form, so it matches la casa.
Can we say lo importante instead of la cosa importante?
Yes. Lo importante literally means what is important, and it is commonly used to talk about the essential point or matter. La cosa importante is just a slightly more explicit way of saying the important thing.
Is there a difference between mantener la casa limpia and mantener limpia la casa?
Both word orders are correct. The placement of limpia can shift for emphasis, but it does not alter the fundamental meaning. The sentence sounds a bit more natural as mantener la casa limpia, yet you might see mantener limpia la casa in more formal or literary contexts.