Miro la luna por la ventana.

I look at the moon through the window.

Breakdown of Miro la luna por la ventana.

• yo: I
• la ventana: the window
• por: through
• la luna: the moon
• mirar: to look at

Questions & Answers about Miro la luna por la ventana.

What is the grammatical person and tense of miro?

miro is the first-person singular (yo) form in the present indicative of the verb mirar (“to look at”). In English it corresponds to “I look” or “I am looking.”

Why don’t we use yo before miro?

In Spanish, subject pronouns like yo are optional because the verb ending already indicates the subject. Including yo (as in yo miro) is grammatically correct but usually unnecessary unless you want to add emphasis (“I do look”).

Why is there no a before la luna?

Spanish uses the preposition a before direct objects only when they are:
• specific persons (e.g. veo a María)
• personified animals or sometimes beloved pets
Because luna (moon) is an inanimate object, no a is needed.

What’s the difference between mirar and ver?

• Mirar = “to look at,” implying intention or focus (“I look at the moon”).
• Ver = “to see,” implying perception without deliberate effort (“I see the moon”).

What does por mean in por la ventana?

Here por means “through” or “via.”
• por la ventana = “through the window.”

Could I say desde la ventana or a través de la ventana instead?

Yes, but with slight nuance:
• desde la ventana emphasizes origin/place (“from the window”).
• a través de la ventana is more formal/literary for “through the window.”
All three are correct, though por la ventana is the most common in spoken Latin American Spanish.

Why is there a definite article (la) before luna?

Spanish generally uses definite articles before:
• unique or well-known entities (the sun, the moon)
• body parts, celestial bodies, generic concepts
So la luna = “the moon,” just as you’d say el sol = “the sun.”

Can I change the word order? For example, Por la ventana miro la luna?

Yes. Spanish is flexible with adverbial phrases.
• Miro la luna por la ventana. (neutral)
• Por la ventana miro la luna. (emphasis on the window)
Both mean the same but shift the focus slightly.

How would I ask “Am I looking at the moon through the window?”

Invert the subject and verb and add question marks:
• ¿Miro la luna por la ventana?
If you want to clarify “am I (the one) looking…” you could add yo for emphasis:
• ¿Yo miro la luna por la ventana?