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El relámpago ilumina el rascacielos.

El relámpago ilumina el rascacielos.
The lightning illuminates the skyscraper.
FromLesson 32inHardcore Spanish (Latin America)

Breakdown of El relámpago ilumina el rascacielos.

iluminar
to illuminate
el relámpago
the lightning
el rascacielos
the skyscraper

Questions & Answers about El relámpago ilumina el rascacielos.

Why does relámpago carry an accent on the á?
Because relámpago is an esdrújula word (stressed on the antepenultimate syllable: re-LÁM-pa-go). Spanish spelling rules require all esdrújulas to have a written accent.
Why doesn’t rascacielos have an accent mark?
rascacielos is a llana (grave) word (stress on the penultimate syllable: ras-ca-CIE-los) and ends in s. By Spanish orthography, llana words ending in a vowel, n or s do not carry an accent.
How do you form the plural of rascacielos?
rascacielos is an invariable compound noun (“rasca” + “cielos”). Both singular and plural are rascacielos. You indicate plural with the article or determiner: el rascacielos (singular) vs. los rascacielos (plural).
Why is the verb ilumina in the present indicative, third person singular?
The subject el relámpago is third person singular, and the sentence describes a current or habitual action (“lightning illuminates the skyscraper”). Therefore, you use the present indicative form ilumina to agree in person and number.
Why is there no preposition before el rascacielos?
iluminar is a transitive verb that takes a direct object without a preposition. Here, el rascacielos functions directly as that object.
Why do we include the article el before rascacielos?
In Spanish, definite articles are often used before singular concrete nouns when referring to a specific entity. Saying el rascacielos clarifies “the skyscraper” rather than speaking about skyscrapers in general or as a headline.
Could we use alumbrar instead of iluminar here?
They are close synonyms, but iluminar emphasizes casting light to make something visible, which fits a flash of lightning. alumbrar can also mean “to light” but carries additional senses (e.g., “to give birth” or “to inspire an idea”) and is less common for lightning.
What is the origin or literal meaning of rascacielos?
It’s a compound of rascar (“to scratch”) + cielo (“sky”), literally “sky-scratcher.” That figurative image perfectly conveys “skyscraper.”
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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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