Breakdown of Mi perro es sensible al frío.
ser
to be
mi
my
el perro
the dog
a
to
sensible
sensitive
el frío
the cold
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Questions & Answers about Mi perro es sensible al frío.
What does sensible mean in this sentence?
In Spanish, sensible means “sensitive,” not “reasonable” as in English. It’s a false friend. So Mi perro es sensible al frío translates to “My dog is sensitive to the cold.”
Why is es (from ser) used instead of está (from estar)?
Spanish uses ser to describe inherent or long-lasting traits. Being sensitive to the cold is seen as a permanent quality of your dog, so you use es. Estar would imply a temporary state.
What is the role of al in sensible al frío?
Al is the contraction of a + el and means “to the.” Many Spanish adjectives (like sensible) take a before a noun to express “sensitive to” something: sensible a…. When the noun is masculine singular (el frío), a + el becomes al.
Is frío functioning as an adjective or a noun here?
Here frío is a noun (the cold). The phrase sensible al frío literally means “sensitive to the cold,” so frío names the thing the dog is sensitive to.
Why isn’t there an article before mi perro (like el mi perro)?
When you use a possessive adjective such as mi, Spanish drops any extra article. Mi already marks possession, so you say mi perro, not el mi perro.
Does sensible change form for feminine or plural?
Yes. Since sensible ends in –e, it stays the same for both masculine and feminine singular. To form the plural, add –s, giving sensibles for masculine and feminine.
Could I say Mi perro está sensible al frío instead of es sensible al frío?
You might hear está sensible al frío in casual speech to stress a current sensitivity (for example, after a haircut). However, standard usage prefers es sensible al frío to describe an inherent trait.
What are some alternative ways to express the same idea?
You can rephrase:
- Mi perro no tolera el frío.
- A mi perro le afecta el frío.
- Mi perro es friolero. (meaning “he easily gets cold”)
- Mi perro sufre del frío. (using sufrir de
- noun)