Word
El ascensor sube lentamente.
Meaning
The elevator goes up slowly.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Lesson
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Questions & Answers about El ascensor sube lentamente.
Why is sube (simple present) used instead of a progressive form like “is going up”?
In Spanish the presente de indicativo often covers both habitual actions and actions happening right now. Unlike English, you don’t need a special “is + –ing” form to say something is occurring at the moment. So:
When should I use está subiendo (present progressive) instead of sube?
Use estar + gerundio when you want to emphasize that the action is in progress right now. For example:
What is lentamente and how do you form adverbs in Spanish?
lentamente is an adverb of manner, meaning “slowly.” In Spanish most adverbs of manner are formed by:
- Taking the feminine adjective: lenta
- Adding -mente → lentamente
That adverb then modifies the verb sube.
Can I say sube lento or instead of ?