Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): En la carpeta guardo mis pensamientos más importantes. - In the folder I keep my most important thoughts.

Guardar generally means “to keep,” “to store,” or “to save.” In this sentence it conveys the idea of placing and keeping your most important thoughts somewhere safe—in this case, inside a folder.

Why do we use en la carpeta instead of just carpeta?

Spanish requires a preposition plus definite article when talking about location in a specific container:

en = “in”
la carpeta = “the folder”
So en la carpeta means “in the folder.” Omitting en or la would sound ungrammatical here.

Why is the article la used before carpeta? Could it be el carpeta?

Carpeta is a feminine noun in Spanish, so it takes the feminine singular article la. El carpeta would be incorrect.

Could I use archivo instead of carpeta?

Yes, but there’s a nuance:

carpeta usually means a physical or digital folder (a container for files).
archivo can mean “file” (a document) or “archive” (a collection of files).
So if you’re thinking of a folder containing multiple items, carpeta is more precise.

Why is the verb in the simple present guardo? Is it a habit?

Spanish uses the simple present to express habitual or general truths. Here it suggests that you routinely keep your most important thoughts in the folder.

Could you say estoy guardando mis pensamientos más importantes en la carpeta instead?

Yes. Estoy guardando… (present progressive) emphasizes that you’re in the process of saving them right now. The original guardo simply states a habit or general fact.

Why is mis used before pensamientos? Can’t you say los pensamientos?

mis is a possessive adjective meaning “my.”
los pensamientos would mean “the thoughts.”
You use mis pensamientos to indicate ownership (“my thoughts”). You could say los pensamientos que más me importan, but that’s a different structure (“the thoughts that matter most to me”).

Why does más importantes come after pensamientos? Could you say mis más importantes pensamientos?

Adjectives in Spanish normally follow the noun. So pensamientos más importantes is more idiomatic than putting the adjective group before the noun. Mis más importantes pensamientos is grammatically possible but sounds awkward and overly poetic.

Is más importantes a comparative (“more important”) or a superlative (“most important”)?

It can be both, depending on context. With mis it functions as a superlative: mis pensamientos más importantes = “my most important thoughts.” If it stood alone without a clear set, it could be interpreted as comparative.

Why does más have an accent? Could it be written mas?

más (with accent) means “more” or “most.”
mas (without accent) is a conjunction meaning “but” (similar to pero).
Here you need the accented form because you’re saying “the most important.”

Why is pensamientos in the plural? Could you say el pensamiento más importante?

It depends on what you mean:

los pensamientos más importantes = “the most important thoughts” (many ideas).
el pensamiento más importante = “the most important thought” (a single idea).
The original uses plural because you’re referring to multiple key thoughts.

Can the sentence be reordered as Guardo mis pensamientos más importantes en la carpeta?

Yes. That word order is perfectly normal. Starting with En la carpeta simply puts emphasis on the location. Both are correct:

En la carpeta guardo… (emphasis on “in the folder”)
Guardo… en la carpeta (neutral order)