El libro es costoso.

The book is expensive.

Breakdown of El libro es costoso.

• ser: to be
• el libro: the book
• costoso: expensive

Questions & Answers about El libro es costoso.

What does costoso mean in this sentence?

Costoso means expensive or costly. In this context, it tells us that the book has a high price. Even though the meaning is clear from context, it's useful to understand that costoso is synonymous with expensive.

Why is the verb ser used instead of estar in this sentence?

Ser is used to describe inherent or permanent characteristics. Since being expensive is considered an intrinsic quality of the book, ser is appropriate here. Estar would be used for temporary conditions or states, which doesn’t apply in this case.

Is there any difference between using costoso and caro?

Both costoso and caro mean expensive. However, caro is more commonly used in everyday conversation in many Latin American regions, while costoso may sound a bit more formal or less frequent. Even so, both are correct and interchangeable in many contexts.

How is the sentence structured grammatically, and what are its main components?

The sentence follows the basic subject-verb-adjective order. El libro is the subject, es is the linking verb, and costoso is the predicate adjective describing the book. This pattern mirrors the English sentence “The book is expensive.”