El gato salta sobre la silla.

The cat jumps on the chair.

Breakdown of El gato salta sobre la silla.

• la silla: the chair
• el gato: the cat
• saltar: to jump
• sobre: on

Questions & Answers about El gato salta sobre la silla.

Why is the article el used with gato instead of a feminine article?

Gato is a masculine noun in Spanish, so it naturally takes the masculine singular definite article el. In Spanish, every noun has a gender, and matching the article with the noun’s gender and number is essential for grammatical accuracy.

How is the verb salta conjugated, and why is that form used here?

Salta is the third person singular form of the verb saltar (to jump) in the simple present tense. It is used here because the subject el gato (the cat) is singular. Spanish verbs must agree with their subjects in both person and number, so salta accurately reflects that the cat is performing the action.

What does the preposition sobre mean, and why is it used in this sentence?

The preposition sobre means “on top of” or “over” in English. It is used in this sentence to indicate the spatial relationship between the action of jumping and the location of the chair. It tells us that the cat is jumping over (or possibly onto) the chair, emphasizing movement relative to the chair.

Could I replace sobre with another preposition, and what would change in the meaning?

Yes, you could replace sobre with encima de to convey a similar idea (“on top of”), but it might imply a slightly different nuance or emphasis. Using en (meaning “in” or “on”) could also work in some contexts, but it would change the intended spatial relationship. Sobre is the most direct translation of “over” and best fits the meaning of this sentence.

What is the structure of the sentence El gato salta sobre la silla?

The sentence follows a common Spanish structure: it begins with the subject (El gato), followed by the verb (salta), and finishes with a prepositional phrase (sobre la silla) that indicates where the action takes place. This subject-verb-prepositional phrase order is straightforward and typical in Spanish, making it easy to understand the relationship between the elements.