Log inSign up

La recepción da la bienvenida a cada huésped con una sonrisa.

La recepción da la bienvenida a cada huésped con una sonrisa.
The reception welcomes each guest with a smile.
FromLesson 25inHardcore Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about La recepción da la bienvenida a cada huésped con una sonrisa.

What does la recepción mean here? Does it refer to a person?
La recepción refers to the front desk or reception area/department of a hotel, not an individual. If you meant the person working there, you’d say la recepcionista.
Why do we say dar la bienvenida? Isn’t bienvenido an adjective?
Dar la bienvenida is an idiomatic verb phrase meaning “to welcome.” Here bienvenida is a noun (“a welcome” or “the act of welcoming”). By contrast, bienvenido can function as an adjective (“welcome”) or an exclamation (¡Bienvenido!, “Welcome!”).
Why is there a la before bienvenida in dar la bienvenida?
In Spanish you generally use the definite article before concrete nouns in set phrases. La bienvenida (“the welcome”) is treated as a specific thing you’re giving. Omitting la would sound unnatural.
Why do we use a in da la bienvenida a cada huésped?
The preposition a marks the indirect object in Spanish when you “give someone a welcome.” So you dar la bienvenida a alguien (welcome someone). Without a, the sentence would be grammatically incomplete.
What is the difference between cada huésped and todos los huéspedes?
Cada huésped means “each guest” (emphasizing them one by one), while todos los huéspedes means “all the guests” (viewed as a group). Both are correct but shift the focus slightly.
Why does huésped have an accent on the é?
Spanish accent rules: words ending in a consonant other than n or s are normally stressed on the last syllable. Huésped is stressed on the penultimate syllable (hu-és-ped), so it needs an acute accent on the é to show that stress.
Can we replace da with recibe, as in La recepción recibe a cada huésped con una sonrisa?
Yes. Recibir (“to receive”) also works and means “to greet” or “welcome.” La recepción recibe a cada huésped con una sonrisa is correct, though dar la bienvenida carries the stronger nuance of officially welcoming someone.
What does con una sonrisa add to the sentence? Can we move it?
Con una sonrisa describes the manner of the action (“with a smile”). It usually follows the verb in Spanish, but you can move it to the start for emphasis: Con una sonrisa, la recepción da la bienvenida a cada huésped.
Why is da in third person singular?
Because the subject la recepción is singular. If you changed the subject to something plural—say los recepcionistas—you’d use dan instead of da.
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 recepción da la bienvenida a cada huésped con una sonrisa 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