Word
A muchos niños les gusta deslizar sus juguetes sobre la mesa y hacer ruidos divertidos.
Meaning
Many children like to slide their toys across the table and make funny noises.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Lesson
Breakdown of A muchos niños les gusta deslizar sus juguetes sobre la mesa y hacer ruidos divertidos.
la mesa
the table
gustar
to like
y
and
a
to
su
their
el niño
the child
hacer
to make
el ruido
the noise
divertido
funny
deslizar
to slide
les
them
el juguete
the toy
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Spanish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about A muchos niños les gusta deslizar sus juguetes sobre la mesa y hacer ruidos divertidos.
Why does the sentence start with "A muchos niños" instead of just "Muchos niños"?
In Spanish, when using verbs like gustar, it is common to introduce the indirect object with a prepositional phrase. "A muchos niños" explicitly identifies who finds the activity pleasing. Even though the indirect object is later marked by the pronoun les, including "a muchos niños" adds clarity and emphasis, especially for learners.
Why is the indirect object pronoun les necessary when "a muchos niños" is already mentioned?
Spanish grammar typically uses the indirect object pronoun les along with an explicit indirect object (like "a muchos niños") to reinforce who is affected by the action. This redundancy is a natural feature of gustar constructions. It helps clarify that the children are the ones who enjoy the actions described.
What do the verbs deslizar and hacer mean in this sentence?
The verb deslizar means “to slide” or “to glide,” referring to the action of moving the toys along the table. The verb hacer means “to make” or “to do.” In this context, hacer ruidos divertidos means “to make funny noises.” Both verbs are in their infinitive forms because they describe the actions that many children like to perform.
Why are the verbs deslizar and hacer in the infinitive form?
After expressions like les gusta, Spanish typically uses the infinitive form of the verb to denote activities that someone likes. Since the sentence tells us what many children enjoy doing, both deslizar and hacer remain in the infinitive form, explaining the actions in a straightforward and standard construction.
What does sus indicate in "sus juguetes"?
The word sus is a possessive adjective meaning “their” in English. It tells us that the toys belong to the children. In this sentence, sus juguetes specifies the ownership of the toys, making it clear that the children own their toys.
How does the conjunction y function in this sentence?
The conjunction y means “and” and is used to join two activities that the children enjoy: sliding their toys on the table and making funny noises. It connects the two infinitive phrases (deslizar sus juguetes sobre la mesa and hacer ruidos divertidos), indicating that both actions are liked by many children.
What role does the preposition sobre play in the phrase "deslizar sus juguetes sobre la mesa"?
The preposition sobre translates to “on” or “over” and indicates the location where the toys are being slid. In this context, deslizar sus juguetes sobre la mesa means that the children slide their toys along the surface of the table, clearly establishing the spatial relationship.
Can the sentence be simplified by omitting "a muchos niños" and just using les?
Yes, it is grammatically possible to say just Les gusta deslizar sus juguetes sobre la mesa y hacer ruidos divertidos. However, including "a muchos niños" adds extra emphasis and clarity by specifying exactly who likes these activities. For learners, this explicit mention can help avoid ambiguity and strengthen understanding of the indirect object construction.
Your questions are stored by us to improve Elon.io
You've reached your AI usage limit
Sign up to increase your limit.