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Questions & Answers about Mariana viaja en avión.
How should I translate en avión? Does it literally mean “in airplane” or “by airplane”?
Although en often translates as “in” in other contexts, in expressions of transportation it functions idiomatically to indicate the means of travel. Therefore, en avión means by airplane—just as en coche means “by car” or en tren means “by train.”
Why is there no article (such as un or el) before avión?
In Spanish, it is standard to omit the article in fixed expressions that refer to modes of transportation. When you say viajar en avión, you are referring to the method of travel in general rather than a specific airplane. Adding an article (e.g., en un avión or en el avión) would shift the focus to a particular plane, which isn’t the intended meaning here.
Why is the subject pronoun omitted in this sentence?
Spanish is a pro-drop language, which means that subject pronouns are often left out because the verb ending clearly indicates the subject. In Mariana viaja en avión, the verb viaja is conjugated in the third person singular, so it’s already evident that the subject is Mariana without explicitly saying ella.
What tense is used in the sentence Mariana viaja en avión, and why is it appropriate here?
The sentence is in the simple present tense. This tense is used to indicate habitual actions, general truths, or scheduled events. In this case, viaja suggests that Mariana travels by airplane as a regular or factual occurrence in the present.
Is the verb viajar regular, and how is it conjugated in this sentence?
Yes, viajar is a regular -ar verb. In the simple present tense, regular -ar verbs follow a predictable pattern. For the third person singular, viajar becomes viaja, which perfectly matches the subject Mariana.
How does the sentence structure of Mariana viaja en avión compare to its English equivalent?
The structure is very similar to English. Both languages typically follow a subject-verb-prepositional phrase order. In English, the sentence is rendered as Mariana travels by airplane. The main differences are the use of the preposition (en in Spanish versus by in English) and the omission of an article before avión in the Spanish expression.
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