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Mi primo toca la guitarra.

Mi primo toca la guitarra.
My cousin plays the guitar.
FromLesson 14inHardcore Spanish (Latin America)

Breakdown of Mi primo toca la guitarra.

mi
my
el primo
the cousin
tocar
to play
la guitarra
the guitar

Questions & Answers about Mi primo toca la guitarra.

What does "mi primo" mean, and why is "primo" used here?
"Mi primo" translates to "my cousin" in English. In Spanish, "primo" specifically refers to a male cousin. If you were referring to a female cousin, you would use "mi prima."
How is the verb "toca" conjugated in this sentence?
The verb "toca" is the third person singular form of "tocar" in the present tense. It agrees with the subject "mi primo," indicating that "he plays" the guitar.
Why is the definite article "la" used before "guitarra"?
In Spanish, nouns have a gender. "Guitarra" is a feminine noun, so it takes the feminine definite article "la." This matches in gender and number, just like in English you would say "the guitar."
Could "toca" ever be misunderstood to mean something other than "plays" in this context?
Yes, the verb "tocar" can also mean "to touch" depending on the context. However, because "la guitarra" is mentioned and the context involves a musical instrument, it is clearly understood that "toca" means "plays" here rather than "touches."
Why isn't an explicit subject pronoun like "él" used before "toca"?
In Spanish, subject pronouns are often omitted when the subject is clear from the context. Since "mi primo" already identifies who is performing the action, including "él" (meaning "he") would be redundant.
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“How does verb conjugation work in Spanish?”
Spanish verbs change form based on the subject, tense, and mood. Regular verbs follow predictable patterns depending on whether they end in ‑ar, ‑er, or ‑ir. For example, "hablar" (to speak) becomes "hablo" (I speak), "hablas" (you speak), and "habla" (he/she speaks) in the present tense.

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