Log inSign up

La científica explica el experimento con paciencia.

La científica explica el experimento con paciencia.
The scientist explains the experiment with patience.
FromLesson 22inHardcore Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about La científica explica el experimento con paciencia.

Why is there a definite article la before científica?
In Spanish you normally place a definite article before a noun—even a profession or role—when you mention it in a sentence. English often leaves out the before professions (The scientist explains… vs. Scientist explains…), but in Spanish you say la científica to mean “the scientist.”
Why is científica feminine with an -a ending?
Spanish nouns and adjectives agree in gender with the person or thing they describe. Since científica refers to a female scientist, you use the feminine ending -a. If it were a male scientist, you’d say el científico.

Why isn’t there an accent on explica?
[ANSWER] The stress rules in Spanish say that words ending in a vowel, n, or s are naturally stressed on the penultimate syllable. Ex-pli-ca already follows that rule, so no written accent is needed.

Why is the manner expressed as con paciencia instead of an adverb?
Spanish commonly uses con + [noun] to describe how something is done. So “with patience” becomes con paciencia. The corresponding adverb pacientemente also exists, but con paciencia is just as natural.
Could I say La científica explica pacientemente el experimento instead?
Yes. Using pacientemente (“patiently”) is grammatically correct. Con paciencia and pacientemente are interchangeable here, though con paciencia slightly emphasizes the quality of patience as a tool or attitude.
Why is explicar followed directly by el experimento?
Explicar is a transitive verb in Spanish, which means it takes a direct object: explicar algo (“to explain something”). Here el experimento is that “something.”
Why is there a definite article el before experimento?
The sentence refers to a specific experiment already known in context. Spanish often uses definite articles more frequently than English, so you say el experimento even when English might simply say “the experiment” or drop the article in general references.
How do you pronounce científica and experimento in Latin American Spanish?
  • científica: /sjenˈti.fi.ka/
  • experimento: /ek.spi.ɾiˈmen.to/
Can I move con paciencia to a different position in the sentence?

Yes. Spanish word order is flexible. You could say:

  • Con paciencia, la científica explica el experimento. (emphasis on the manner)
  • La científica con paciencia explica el experimento. (slightly more formal)
    All these orders are correct; you’re just shifting the focus or flow.
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How does verb conjugation work in Spanish?”
Spanish verbs change form based on the subject, tense, and mood. Regular verbs follow predictable patterns depending on whether they end in ‑ar, ‑er, or ‑ir. For example, "hablar" (to speak) becomes "hablo" (I speak), "hablas" (you speak), and "habla" (he/she speaks) in the present tense.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Spanish

Master Spanish — from La científica explica el experimento con paciencia to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.

  • ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning Spanish freeBrowse the full course