Breakdown of En la selva escucho sonidos que no conozco.
yo
I
en
in
que
that
no
not
conocer
to know
el sonido
the sound
escuchar
to hear
la selva
the jungle
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Questions & Answers about En la selva escucho sonidos que no conozco.
Why is en used instead of a or another preposition?
en expresses location (“in”), while a indicates movement toward something (“to”) or direction. Since you’re inside the jungle listening, en la selva = “in the jungle.”
Why is the definite article la used with selva?
Spanish often uses the definite article before general place nouns. Even if you mean “a jungle” in English, Spanish still says la selva (“the jungle”) when referring to that environment in a broad sense.
What’s the difference between escuchar and oír?
oír is the passive act of perceiving sound (“to hear”). escuchar implies active attention (“to listen”). Here, the speaker is focusing on the sounds, so escucho is more appropriate than oigo.
Why is escucho in the present tense?
Spanish uses the present tense both for things happening right now and for habitual actions. It simply states “I hear/listen to sounds” as an ongoing or immediate experience.
Why is sonidos plural and without an article?
Because there are multiple sounds. Dropping the article makes it indefinite (“some sounds”). If you said los sonidos, you’d be referring to specific, already-known sounds rather than just “any unknown sounds.”
What role does que play in sonidos que no conozco?
que is a relative pronoun meaning “that/which.” It introduces the clause describing which sounds—namely, the ones “that I don’t know.”
Why is conozco used instead of sé?
conocer means to be familiar with people, places or things; saber is used for facts or knowing how to do something. You “conocen” songs or sounds, but you “saben” a fact or how to swim.
Could you say oigo sonidos que no sé instead?
Not really. no sé would mean “I don’t know [a fact about] them” or “I don’t know how to do them.” Since you’re unfamiliar with the identity of the sounds themselves, you use conozco. You could add no sé cuáles son (“I don’t know which ones they are”) to specify.
Can you swap the word order to Escucho sonidos que no conozco en la selva?
Yes. Spanish word order is flexible. Starting with En la selva emphasizes location first; moving en la selva to the end is equally correct but slightly shifts the focus.
Is there any difference between selva and jungla?
Both mean “jungle,” but selva is the traditional term in Latin America for a dense rainforest. jungla is understood but can feel like an English loanword; selva is more idiomatic.