Recibí la invitación para la fiesta ayer.

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Breakdown of Recibí la invitación para la fiesta ayer.

• la fiesta: the party
• para: for
• recibir: to receive
• ayer: yesterday
• la invitación: the invitation

Questions & Answers about Recibí la invitación para la fiesta ayer.

Why does the sentence use recibí (the preterite tense) instead of another tense?

Because the action (receiving the invitation) happened in the past and was completed at that time. The preterite tense in Spanish, reflected here by recibí, indicates a finished action with a clear start and end in the past.

Can I place ayer at the beginning of the sentence instead of at the end?

Yes! In Spanish, you can move time expressions around. You could say Ayer recibí la invitación para la fiesta. Putting ayer at the end is also natural in Spanish and might slightly emphasize the event more than the time.

Why is the article la used before invitación?

The noun invitación is feminine in Spanish. Since Spanish nouns have genders, the feminine article la matches the feminine noun invitación.

Why do we say para la fiesta instead of por la fiesta?

Generally, para indicates a destination, purpose, or end goal. In this context, the invitation is for an event you plan to attend. Por is often used for reasons such as cause, duration, or exchange. Saying para la fiesta conveys that the invitation is specifically directed toward the party.

Could I change the sentence to include more details, like mentioning the time of day?

Absolutely! For example, you could say Recibí la invitación para la fiesta ayer por la mañana, meaning “I received the invitation for the party yesterday morning.” You’re just adding more context about when you received it.