Yo corto la fruta con el cuchillo.

I cut the fruit with the knife.

Breakdown of Yo corto la fruta con el cuchillo.

• yo: I
• con: with
• la fruta: the fruit
• el cuchillo: the knife
• cortar: to cut

Questions & Answers about Yo corto la fruta con el cuchillo.

Why is the subject pronoun Yo explicitly included in the sentence, and can it be omitted?

In Spanish, the verb conjugation already indicates the subject, so Yo (“I”) can be omitted. However, it is included here for extra clarity or emphasis.

What is the significance of the verb form corto in this sentence?

Corto is the first person singular present tense of the regular -ar verb cortar. It means “I cut,” and the -o ending signals that the subject is yo (I).

Why does the sentence use la fruta with the definite article la?

La fruta means “the fruit.” The article la is used because fruta is a feminine singular noun in Spanish, and articles must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify.

What does con el cuchillo mean, and why is the preposition con used?

Con el cuchillo translates to “with the knife.” The preposition con indicates the instrument or tool used to perform the action—in this case, the knife is the tool used for cutting.

Why is el cuchillo preceded by el, and what does that tell us about the noun cuchillo?

The phrase el cuchillo means “the knife.” The masculine singular definite article el is used because cuchillo is a masculine noun. This shows that noun articles in Spanish agree in gender with the noun they accompany.

Is the word order in this sentence fixed, or can it be changed for stylistic reasons?

The basic word order here is Subject-Verb-Object, which is common in both Spanish and English. While Spanish allows some flexibility for emphasis or style, the order Yo corto la fruta con el cuchillo clearly and naturally conveys the meaning “I cut the fruit with the knife.”