Breakdown of Ella se esconde detrás de la puerta.
ella
she
la puerta
the door
esconderse
to hide
detrás de
behind
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Questions & Answers about Ella se esconde detrás de la puerta.
Why is the reflexive pronoun se used in this sentence?
In Spanish, some verbs are reflexive, meaning the action is performed on the subject itself. The verb esconderse means to hide oneself, so se is included to indicate that the subject (ella) is doing the action on herself.
What does detrás de mean, and how does it function in the sentence?
Detrás de translates to "behind" in English. It is a prepositional phrase that specifies the location where the action is taking place – in this case, indicating that she is hiding behind la puerta (the door).
Why is the definite article la used before puerta?
In Spanish, nouns generally require an article. Puerta is a feminine noun, and la is its corresponding definite article, equivalent to "the" in English. This tells us that the sentence refers to a specific door.
Is it necessary to include the subject pronoun ella at the beginning of the sentence?
Spanish often allows subject pronouns to be omitted when the verb conjugation makes the subject clear. However, including ella adds clarity and emphasis, especially in contexts where multiple subjects might be possible or when you want to stress that it is specifically she who is hiding.
What is the verb form used in this sentence, and how does it reflect the subject?
The sentence uses esconde, which is the third person singular present tense of the reflexive verb esconderse. This form correctly matches the subject ella, indicating that she is currently engaged in the action of hiding.