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Mi hijo corre rápido en el parque.

Mi hijo corre rápido en el parque.
My son runs fast in the park.
FromLesson 29inHardcore Spanish (Latin America)

Breakdown of Mi hijo corre rápido en el parque.

en
in
mi
my
el parque
the park
correr
to run
rápido
fast
el hijo
the son

Questions & Answers about Mi hijo corre rápido en el parque.

Why is mi used instead of mío before hijo?
Mi is a possessive adjective that goes directly before the noun and only changes for plural (mis). Mío is a possessive pronoun used after a noun or with an article (e.g. el regalo es mío). To say “my son” in a neutral statement, you use mi hijo, not hijo mío.
How do we know corre means “he runs” here and not “you (formal) run”?
In the present tense, él/ella and usted share the same ending -e. Context tells you that the subject is mi hijo (“my son”), so corre is interpreted as “he runs” rather than “you run.”
What part of speech is rápido in this sentence, and why doesn’t it change for gender or number?
Here rápido is an adverb modifying the verb corre, so it never agrees in gender or number. If it were an adjective modifying a noun (e.g. un carro rápido), it would change for gender (rápida) or number (rápidos).
Could I use rápidamente instead of rápido, and how are adverbs of manner formed?
Yes. Rápidamente is the standard adverb formed by adding -mente to the feminine adjective (rápida → rápidamente). In everyday speech, however, many speakers simply use the adjective form after the verb (corre rápido). Both are grammatically correct; rápidamente sounds more formal.
Why does rápido carry an accent on the á?
Rápido is an esdrújula (stress on the antepenultimate syllable), and Spanish spelling rules require a written accent on all esdrújulas. Without it, the stress pattern would shift.
Why do we say en el parque and not a el parque or just parque?
En indicates location (“in/at”), whereas a marks movement toward (“to”). If you wanted “goes to the park,” you’d say va al parque. Also, Spanish typically uses the definite article (el) before place names for locations: corre en el parque.
Where should I place an adverb like rápido in a Spanish sentence?

The most neutral position is immediately after the conjugated verb:
Subject + Verb + Adverb + Other elements
→ Mi hijo corre rápido en el parque
You can move adverbs for emphasis or stylistic reasons, but the post-verb spot is standard in conversation.

How can I intensify rápido to say “very fast” or “really fast”?

Two common options:

  1. Add muy before the adverb: corre muy rápido (“runs very fast”).
  2. Use the superlative suffix -ísimo on the adjective stem: corre rapidísimo (“runs extremely fast”).
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“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.

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