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Questions & Answers about Voy a comprar un auto nuevo.
What does voy a comprar mean? Does it function as a future tense?
Voy a comprar uses the periphrastic future construction (ir + a + infinitive). It indicates a near-future action or intention – I’m going to buy.
How is voy a comprar different from the simple future compraré?
Voy a comprar is more common in speech for immediate or planned actions. Compraré (simple future) is more formal, often used in writing, promises or when the event is less certain.
Why is the article un used instead of uno before auto?
Un is the masculine indefinite article placed before a noun, like un auto (“a car”). Uno is used when the number one stands alone or follows the noun in counting – for example, hay uno.
Why does nuevo come after auto? Could I say un nuevo auto?
Adjectives usually follow nouns in Spanish. You can say un nuevo auto, but it emphasizes another car or newly introduced, whereas un auto nuevo describes the car’s condition – a brand-new car.
What other words can I use instead of auto in Latin America?
Common synonyms include carro (most of Latin America), coche (in places like Argentina or parts of Mexico), and vehículo or automóvil in more formal contexts.
Is auto an anglicism? Where does it come from?
Auto is a shortened form of automóvil, which ultimately comes from Greek and Latin roots. It wasn’t borrowed directly from English automobile, though both share the same origin.
How do you pronounce auto, and does it have an accent mark?
It’s pronounced [ˈaw.to] with two syllables: au + to. There’s no written accent because it follows the stress rule for words ending in a vowel (stress on the penultimate syllable).
Can I drop the a and say voy comprar un auto nuevo?
No. The preposition a is required in the periphrastic future (ir a + infinitive). Without a, the sentence is ungrammatical.