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Questions & Answers about El florero azul está sobre la mesa del comedor.
Why do we use the definite article el before florero?
In Spanish, when you’re talking about a specific object you normally include the definite article (el, la, los, las) before the noun. El florero azul literally means “the blue vase.” Leaving out el (just saying florero azul) would sound incomplete or generic.
How can I tell that florero is masculine?
Most Spanish nouns ending in -o are masculine and take el in the singular (e.g. el libro, el zapato). There are exceptions (like la mano), but florero follows the common pattern.
Why does the adjective azul come after the noun instead of before like in English?
Descriptive adjectives in Spanish typically follow the noun they modify. So you say florero azul (“vase blue”) rather than azul florero. Putting azul before florero is possible for poetic emphasis, but the neutral word order is noun → adjective.
Why doesn’t azul change for a feminine noun (e.g. mesa azul)?
Adjectives ending in a consonant (like azul, feliz, gris) are invariable in gender. They stay the same for both masculine and feminine and only add -es in the plural:
• florero azul / mesa azul
• floreros azules / mesas azules
Why do we use está (from estar) instead of es (from ser)?
In Spanish, estar is the verb you use to express location or temporary states. So to say “it is on the table” you use está sobre la mesa. Using ser (es) for location would sound incorrect.
What’s the difference between sobre, encima de, and en when saying “on”?
• en = “in” or “on” in a very general sense.
• sobre = “on top of,” slightly more formal or precise.
• encima de = “on top of” or “above,” very common in speech.
All three can translate as “on the table,” but sobre and encima de emphasize the top‐surface relationship more than plain en.
Why is it mesa del comedor and not mesa de comedor?
• mesa del comedor = “the table of the dining room,” referring to a specific piece of furniture in that room.
• mesa de comedor = “dining table” as a general type or category of table.
Here we want the actual table in the dining room, so we say la mesa del comedor.
Why do de + el contract to del?
In Spanish, the preposition de (of/from) plus the masculine singular article el always contracts to del. This is a mandatory contraction (you cannot say de el).
Could I use un instead of el to say “a blue vase” instead of “the blue vase”?
Yes. If you want to introduce “a blue vase,” you switch to the indefinite article: Un florero azul está sobre la mesa del comedor. This makes it non‐specific, as in “there is a blue vase on the dining room table.”
Can we say sobre de la mesa instead of sobre la mesa?
No. After sobre you never add an extra de. You say sobre la mesa (no de). Only encima needs the de: encima de la mesa.
