Breakdown of El anillo es especial porque también sirve de brújula en la isla.
ser
to be
en
in
porque
because
especial
special
también
also
la isla
the island
el anillo
the ring
servir de
to serve as
la brújula
the compass
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Questions & Answers about El anillo es especial porque también sirve de brújula en la isla.
Why is es especial used instead of está especial?
In Spanish, ser (es) describes essential or permanent qualities, while estar (está) indicates temporary states or locations. Since being special is an inherent characteristic of the ring, you say es especial.
Why is porque one word and not por qué?
Porque (one word, no accent) means because and introduces a cause. Por qué (two words, with an accent) means why in questions. Here we’re giving the reason, so we need porque.
Why isn’t there a comma before porque?
In Spanish, you generally do not place a comma before porque when it introduces an essential explanation. Commas appear only if the clause is parenthetical or nonessential, which is not the case here.
What does servir de brújula mean, and why is there no article before brújula?
The structure servir de + noun means to serve as that noun. You don’t use an article after de in this idiom. So el anillo sirve de brújula = the ring serves as a compass.
Could you use servir como brújula instead of servir de brújula?
Yes, servir como brújula (“serve like/as a compass”) is understandable, but servir de brújula is more idiomatic when something actually functions in that role.
Why is también placed before sirve? Could it go elsewhere?
Putting también before the verb emphasizes that the ring has an additional function. You could say sirve de brújula también, but that makes the “also” feel tacked on. También sirve flows more naturally.
Why does especial come after the noun (anillo especial) instead of before it?
Most descriptive adjectives in Spanish follow the noun. Anillo especial is the normal order. Placing especial before the noun (especial anillo) would sound poetic or highly emphatic.
Why is en la isla at the end? What does en indicate here?
En indicates location (“on the island”). Putting en la isla at the end keeps the focus on the ring’s special function. You could start with En la isla, but then you’d shift emphasis to the setting instead of the ring.
Why does brújula have an accent mark, and where is the stress?
Brújula has three syllables (bru-jú-la) and is stressed on the antepenultimate syllable (the second one). Spanish rules require a written accent on words stressed on that syllable when they end in a vowel, n, or s.