Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Un ciudadano informado sabe por qué votar es un derecho y un orgullo. - An informed citizen knows why voting is a right and a source of pride.

Breakdown of Un ciudadano informado sabe por qué votar es un derecho y un orgullo.

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Why is informado used instead of informativo, and why does it come after ciudadano?

Informado is the past participle of informar, used here as an adjective meaning “informed.”

Informativo would mean “informative” (something that gives information), not “one who has information.”
In Spanish, adjectives derived from past participles (like informado, interesado, abierto) usually follow the noun when describing a person or thing.
- Un ejemplo: un estudiante motivado (“a motivated student”), not un motivado estudiante.

Why do we say sabe por qué votar… instead of sabe que votar…?

The structures express different ideas:

sabe por qué votar… = “knows why voting…” (introduces an indirect question about the reason)
sabe que votar… = “knows that voting…” (simply states that he/she knows the fact without emphasizing the reason)
Here, we want to stress understanding the reason behind voting, so we use por qué (“why”).

Why isn’t por qué votar es un derecho y un orgullo written with question marks or inversion?

Because it’s an indirect question embedded in a statement, not a direct question.

Direct question: ¿Por qué votar es un derecho y un orgullo?
Indirect question: Sabe por qué votar es un derecho y un orgullo.
Indirect questions in Spanish:
- Do not use question marks or inverted word order.
- Introduced by phrases like no sé, me pregunto, sabe, explícame
  - por qué, cómo, dónde, etc.

Why is the infinitive votar used as the subject of the clause?

Spanish often uses the infinitive as a noun (verbal noun) to talk about actions in general.

Votar here means “the act of voting.”
In English you’d say “voting is a right…” using the gerund, but in Spanish the infinitive performs that noun role directly.

After por qué, why is votar es in the indicative mood and not the subjunctive?

With por qué as part of an indirect question, Spanish uses the indicative if you’re stating or reporting a factual reason.

If there were doubt or necessity (e.g., para que votes), you’d see the subjunctive.
Here it’s simply: knows why voting is a right, a fact, so es is indicative.

Why is the indefinite article un repeated before both derecho and orgullo? Could you say votar es un derecho y orgullo?

Repeating un before derecho and orgullo clarifies that both nouns are separate qualities.

votar es un derecho y un orgullo emphasizes “a right” and “a pride” individually.
You could say votar es un derecho y orgullo, but it’s less balanced and might sound rushed. Repetition improves clarity and rhythm in Spanish.

In English we don’t say “a pride” when talking about pride in general. Why does Spanish use un orgullo here?

Spanish often uses the indefinite article with abstract nouns to treat them as discrete “instances” or “sources.”

un orgullo conveys “a source of pride” or “something to be proud of.”
Without the article (votar es orgullo), the phrase sounds odd or overly general. The article gives it that nuance of “one specific feeling of pride.”