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Questions & Answers about El camino es peligroso.
What is the meaning and structure of the sentence "El camino es peligroso"?
The sentence translates to "The road is dangerous." It is structured with "El camino" as the subject, "es" as the third person singular form of the verb ser, and "peligroso" as the adjective that describes the inherent characteristic of the road. This structure shows a simple subject-linking verb-predicate adjective arrangement.
Why is the verb ser used instead of estar in this sentence?
Ser is used because the sentence expresses an inherent, defining quality of the road—its dangerous nature. In Spanish, ser is appropriate when describing permanent or essential characteristics, whereas estar is used for temporary states or conditions. Since being dangerous is considered an inherent quality, ser is the correct choice.
How does gender agreement work in "El camino es peligroso"?
In Spanish, adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in both gender and number. Here, "camino" is a masculine, singular noun, so "peligroso" is also in the masculine singular form. If the noun were feminine or plural, the adjective would need to change accordingly (for example, "la ruta es peligrosa").
What role does the placement of the adjective peligroso play in the sentence?
The adjective peligroso is placed after the noun camino, which is typical in Spanish when describing essential or defining qualities. While some adjectives can shift meaning or emphasis based on their position (before or after the noun), placing peligroso after camino clearly indicates that being dangerous is an inherent quality of the road.
Is it necessary to include the definite article el before camino, and why?
Yes, including the definite article el is necessary. In Spanish, singular countable nouns usually require an article. "El" specifies that you are referring to a particular road or roads in general, and it agrees in gender (masculine) and number (singular) with "camino."