El vecino trae flores a la fiesta.

The neighbor brings flowers to the party.

Breakdown of El vecino trae flores a la fiesta.

• la fiesta: the party
• a: to
• traer: to bring
• la flor: the flower
• el vecino: the neighbor

Questions & Answers about El vecino trae flores a la fiesta.

What does vecino mean, and why is it masculine in this sentence?

Vecino translates to "neighbor" in English. It is masculine because it is preceded by the masculine article el. In Spanish, nouns have gender, so if you were referring to a female neighbor, you would use la vecina.

What does the verb trae mean, and what can you tell me about its conjugation?

Trae is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb traer, which means "to bring." It indicates that the neighbor brings the flowers. Note that traer is considered somewhat irregular; its other forms (like traigo for "I bring" and traemos for "we bring") do not follow a completely regular pattern.

Why is the preposition a used in a la fiesta?

In Spanish, the preposition a is used to indicate direction or destination. In this context, a la fiesta means "to the party," showing where the flowers are being brought. It’s a standard way to express movement toward a place in Spanish.

Why is the noun flores used without an article here?

The noun flores (flowers) appears without an article because Spanish often omits the article when referring to things in a general or indefinite sense. Much like in English, saying "flowers" instead of "the flowers" can imply a general reference rather than a specific set of flowers.

What does the structure of the sentence tell us about its components?

The sentence follows a natural Spanish word order: Subject (el vecino) – Verb (trae) – Direct Object (flores) – Prepositional Phrase (a la fiesta). This order clearly shows who is performing the action (the neighbor), what is being brought (flowers), and where the action is taking place (to the party).

How does traer differ from llevar, and why is traer used in this context?

Traer means "to bring," which implies movement toward the speaker's current location or the focal point of the conversation. On the other hand, llevar means "to take" or "to carry," generally describing movement away from the speaker's location. Since the sentence describes the neighbor bringing the flowers to the party—likely where the conversation is centered—traer is the appropriate choice.

Does the present tense in this sentence indicate a habitual action or a one-time occurrence?

The Spanish present tense can be used for both habitual actions and actions occurring at the moment of speaking. Without additional context, El vecino trae flores a la fiesta can be understood as either a habitual activity (perhaps something the neighbor regularly does) or a description of what is happening right now. The intended meaning would depend on the broader context in which the sentence is used.