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La clínica municipal está abierta hoy.

La clínica municipal está abierta hoy.
The municipal clinic is open today.
FromLesson 28inHardcore Spanish (Latin America)

Breakdown of La clínica municipal está abierta hoy.

estar
to be
hoy
today
abierto
open
la clínica
the clinic
municipal
municipal

Questions & Answers about La clínica municipal está abierta hoy.

Why is la used before clínica?
La is the definite article for feminine singular nouns in Spanish. Clínica is feminine, so we use la instead of el.
What does municipal mean here, and why does it come after the noun?
Municipal means “run by the local government.” In Spanish, descriptive adjectives—especially those indicating type or origin—typically follow the noun (hence clínica municipal).
Why is está used instead of es?
Spanish has two verbs for “to be”: ser and estar. We use estar (third person singular está) for temporary states or conditions—like being open today—whereas ser describes permanent or inherent qualities.
Why is abierta feminine? Couldn’t we say abierto?
Adjectives in Spanish must agree in gender (and number) with the noun they modify. Clínica is feminine, so abierto (masculine) becomes abierta (feminine). If you were talking about el hospital, you would use abierto.
Is abierta a past participle or an adjective here?
Although abierta derives from the past participle of abrir (“opened”), in this sentence it functions as an adjective describing the clinic’s current state. That’s why it agrees in gender with clínica.
Could we place hoy at the beginning?
Yes. Time expressions like hoy (“today”) are flexible in Spanish and can appear at the beginning (Hoy la clínica municipal está abierta), middle, or end of a sentence without changing the meaning.
How would I say “The clinic opens today” (i.e., it inaugurates today) instead of “is open”?

To express an event of opening rather than a state, use the verb abrir in the present tense:
• La clínica municipal abre hoy.
Here abre means “(it) opens,” not “is open.”

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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.

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