Log inSign up

La servilleta naranja está en la mesa.

La servilleta naranja está en la mesa.
The orange napkin is on the table.
FromLesson 31inHardcore Spanish (Latin America)

Breakdown of La servilleta naranja está en la mesa.

estar
to be
en
on
la mesa
the table
la servilleta
the napkin
naranja
orange

Questions & Answers about La servilleta naranja está en la mesa.

Why do we say la servilleta naranja instead of el servilleta naranja?
Because servilleta is a feminine noun. In Spanish most nouns ending in -a are feminine, so they take the feminine definite article la.
Why is the adjective naranja placed after the noun, not before it?

Descriptive adjectives in Spanish—especially colors—usually follow the noun:
• English: “the orange napkin” → Spanish: La servilleta naranja
Putting naranja before the noun (→ la naranja servilleta) sounds unnatural and would change the emphasis.

Does naranja change for gender and number to agree with servilleta? Could it ever be naranjas?

• Gender: Color adjectives ending in -a (rosa, lila, naranja) are invariable in gender—so you never say naranjo with a masculine noun.
• Number: Normatively these adjectives are also invariable in number (→ las servilletas naranja), but many speakers add -s (→ las servilletas naranjas) and it’s widely accepted in everyday usage.

Why do we use the verb está here instead of es?

Because we are talking about location. In Spanish, estar is used for:

  1. Locations (physical or temporary), e.g. está en la mesa
  2. Temporary states or conditions
  3. Progressive tenses
    By contrast, ser (es) describes identity, characteristics, origin, time, etc., not location.
What exactly does en la mesa mean, and why not use another preposition like sobre?

• en la mesa generally translates as “on the table.”
• Spanish commonly uses en for “on” (and “in”).
• sobre or encima de also mean “on top of,” but are more formal or emphatic. Everyday speech almost always uses en.

How would you say “an orange napkin is on the table” instead of “the orange napkin…”?

Just swap the definite article la for the indefinite una:
• Una servilleta naranja está en la mesa.

How do you make the sentence plural—“the orange napkins are on the table”?
  1. Change la → las and servilleta → servilletas
  2. For naranja, you can either keep it invariable or add -s:
    – Las servilletas naranja están en la mesa. (normative, invariable)
    – Las servilletas naranjas están en la mesa. (very common)
Can you omit the article and say “Servilleta naranja está en la mesa”?
No. In normal Spanish sentences you need an article (or another determiner) before a common noun. Omitting it makes the phrase ungrammatical—unless you’re writing a headline or label, where articles are often dropped.
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“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.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Spanish

Master Spanish — from La servilleta naranja está en la mesa to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.

  • ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning Spanish freeBrowse the full course