Yo estudio español en la universidad.

I study Spanish at the university.

Breakdown of Yo estudio español en la universidad.

• yo: I
• en: in
• español: Spanish
• estudiar: to study

Questions & Answers about Yo estudio español en la universidad.

Why is yo used before estudio? Do I have to include it?

yo is the subject pronoun for “I.” Spanish is a pro-drop language, so the verb ending (-o) already tells you the subject. You can simply say Estudio español en la universidad without yo. Including yo adds emphasis or contrast (“I, as opposed to someone else, study Spanish”).

Why does estudio end in -o? How do I know it means “I study”?

Estudiar is a regular -ar verb. In the present indicative, the -o ending marks first person singular. So estudio always means “I study.” Other forms are tú estudias, él/ella estudia, etc.

Why is there no article before español? Can’t I say el español?

With verbs of learning or studying (like estudiar, aprender), Spanish typically omits the article: estudio español. You won’t be wrong if you say estudio el español—it’s just less common in everyday speech.

Why is español not capitalized? In English we capitalize language names.

In Spanish, names of languages (and nationalities) are lowercase unless they begin a sentence: español, inglés, francés, etc.