La lluvia arruina la fiesta.

the party

Breakdown of La lluvia arruina la fiesta.

• arruinar: to ruin
• la lluvia: the rain

Questions & Answers about La lluvia arruina la fiesta.

Why is the article “la” used before “lluvia,” and is it necessary in Spanish?

In Spanish, almost all nouns require a definite article, even when referring to general or abstract concepts like the weather. “La lluvia” translates to “the rain,” and the article “la” is necessary to indicate that we’re referring to a specific phenomenon (in this case, the rain affecting the party) rather than just mentioning “rain” in a general sense.

What is the tense and conjugation of the verb “arruina,” and how does it agree with the subject?

“Arruina” is the third person singular form of the verb “arruinar” in the present indicative tense. It agrees with the singular subject “la lluvia” (the rain), ensuring that the verb correctly corresponds to who or what is performing the action—in this case, the rain.

Why isn’t there an explicit subject pronoun (like “ella”) before the verb “arruina” in the sentence?

In Spanish, subject pronouns are often dropped because the verb conjugation already makes it clear who the subject is. Since “arruina” clearly indicates a third person singular subject and “la lluvia” is already mentioned, there is no need for an additional pronoun.

How does the sentence structure “La lluvia arruina la fiesta” compare with English word order?

The sentence follows a subject-verb-object (SVO) pattern, which is the same as in English. “La lluvia” (the subject) comes first, “arruina” (the verb) follows, and “la fiesta” (the object) comes at the end. This similarity makes it easier for English speakers to understand the basic structure of the sentence.

Can “arruina” be replaced with another verb in Spanish, and if so, does it change the nuance of the sentence?

Yes, you could replace “arruina” with another verb such as “estropea.” While both verbs mean “ruins” or “spoils,” “arruina” tends to suggest a more complete or total ruining of the party, whereas “estropea” might imply that the party was just somewhat spoiled or not as enjoyable. The choice of verb can subtly affect the intensity implied in the sentence.