La cultura de un país es importante para entender su historia.

The culture of a country is important to understand its history.

Breakdown of La cultura de un país es importante para entender su historia.

• ser: to be
• de: of
• para: for
• importante: important
• un: a
• entender: to understand
• su: its
• la cultura: the culture
• país: the country
• la historia: the history

Questions & Answers about La cultura de un país es importante para entender su historia.

Why does the sentence use la before cultura?

In Spanish, nouns can be masculine or feminine. The word cultura is feminine, so we need the feminine article la rather than the masculine el.

Why is it un país instead of una país?

Because país is a masculine noun. In Spanish, masculine nouns must be preceded by the masculine article un, not the feminine una.

When is para used instead of por?

Para typically indicates a purpose, goal, or destination. In this sentence, para entender suggests that learning about a country’s culture is directed toward the goal of understanding its history. On the other hand, por often indicates a reason, cause, or goes with expressions of time and exchange.

Could we use comprender instead of entender in this sentence?

Yes! Entender and comprender can often be used with the same meaning, both translating to “understand” in English. In many contexts, entender sounds a bit more direct, but comprender would also fit perfectly in this sentence.

What does su mean in su historia?

Su in Spanish can mean “his,” “her,” “its,” or “their,” depending on the context. Here, su is referring back to un país, so it means “its history”—the history of that country.