Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Spanish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Planeamos nuestras vacaciones en la playa para ver el amanecer.
Why is there no nosotros before planeamos?
Spanish is a “pro-drop” language, meaning you can omit subject pronouns when the verb ending already identifies the subject. The -amos ending tells you it’s “we,” so nosotros is optional (only used for emphasis or contrast).
Is planeamos in the present or the past tense?
In this sentence it’s present indicative (“we plan”). Although planeamos looks the same in preterite first-person plural, context (talking about upcoming vacations) signals present/future meaning. Spanish often uses the present to talk about future plans.
Why do we say nuestras vacaciones instead of nuestro vacación?
Vacaciones is almost always plural in Spanish and is a feminine noun, so the possessive must agree: nuestras vacaciones. While vacación (singular) exists, it’s rarely used in everyday speech.
Why en la playa and not a la playa?
En indicates location (“at the beach”), whereas a indicates movement toward a place (“to the beach”). Here we’re describing where the vacation takes place, so we use en la playa.
What’s the difference between para ver and por ver?
Para expresses purpose or goal: “in order to see.” Por expresses cause, reason, or exchange, not intention. To say “in order to see the sunrise,” you need para ver.
Do we need the article el before amanecer? Could we say para ver amanecer?
Generally Spanish uses a definite article before a noun, so ver el amanecer is most natural. Omitting el (“para ver amanecer”) can sound poetic or less common in everyday speech.
What’s the difference between ver and mirar when talking about seeing the sunrise?
Ver is more general—“to see” or experience something visually—whereas mirar means “to look at” (implying a deliberate action). With natural phenomena like the sunrise, ver el amanecer is idiomatic.
Could we use al amanecer instead of para ver el amanecer?
Al amanecer means “at dawn” and specifies timing (“when dawn happens”), not purpose. If you said planeamos nuestras vacaciones en la playa al amanecer, it would mean “we plan our beach vacation at dawn,” which changes the idea.
Why isn’t there a written accent on amanecer?
Spanish words ending in a consonant other than n or s (like r) are naturally stressed on the last syllable (they’re “agudas”) and don’t take an accent mark. Hence amanecer is stressed on -cer without an accent.