Breakdown of Ese científico es el más famoso de la universidad.
ser
to be
de
of
ese
that
el
the
más
most
el científico
the scientist
famoso
famous
la universidad
the university
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Questions & Answers about Ese científico es el más famoso de la universidad.
Why is ese used instead of este or aquel?
In Spanish, demonstratives agree in gender, number, and “distance” from the speaker.
- este (this) refers to something very close to the speaker.
- ese (that) is for something a bit farther (or known to the listener).
- aquel (that over there) refers to something even more distant.
Since the learner is pointing out or talking about “that scientist” (not right next to them), ese científico is the correct choice.
What’s the role of el before más famoso?
That el is the definite article used in Spanish superlative constructions. The pattern is:
el + más + [adjective] + de + [group]
Here, el más famoso de la universidad means “the most famous out of the university.” Without el, más famoso would simply be a comparative (“more famous”).
Why do we use de la universidad instead of en la universidad?
- de in a superlative (el más X de …) introduces the group being compared (out of/in terms of).
- en indicates location.
So el más famoso de la universidad means “the most famous among everyone at the university,” whereas en la universidad would only tell you where he is (“that scientist is the most famous [person] at the university [location]”).
Why is there an accent on más?
Although más is a monosyllable, it carries an accent to distinguish it from the conjunction mas (meaning “but,” archaic in modern use). So whenever you mean “more,” you write más with an accent.
Why use más famoso instead of famosísimo?
- más famoso is the relative superlative (“more famous,” or “most famous” when used with el and de). It compares one person against a group.
- famosísimo is the absolute superlative (“very/extremely famous”) and doesn’t explicitly compare within a group. It intensifies the adjective but doesn’t say “the most famous of ….”
What’s the difference between a comparative (más famoso que …) and a superlative (el más famoso de …)?
- A comparative says one thing has more of a quality than another:
Ese científico es más famoso que el otro.
(He’s more famous than the other.)
It always uses más … que or menos … que. - A superlative crowns one item as having the highest degree of that quality within a group:
Ese científico es el más famoso de la universidad.
It uses el/los/la/las + más/menos + [adjective] + de + [group].
Why is the article la required before universidad?
In Spanish, most singular, concrete nouns (like universidad) need an article (definite or indefinite) when used generically. English often drops it (“at university”) but Spanish doesn’t. Hence de la universidad, not de universidad.
What’s the difference between el más famoso and lo más famoso?
- el más famoso modifies a masculine singular noun (e.g., el científico).
- lo más famoso uses the neuter article lo to refer to an abstract concept or general idea (“the most famous thing” or “what’s most famous”).
Example:
Lo más famoso de la exposición fue la escultura.
(The most famous thing at the exhibition was the sculpture.)