Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): La copiadora imprime lento por la tarde. - The copier prints slowly in the afternoon.

Both are possible. In Latin American speech, it’s very common to use the adjective lento adverbially with verbs (sound: informal/neutral): La copiadora imprime lento. The more “textbook” or formal adverb is lentamente: La copiadora imprime lentamente. Another very common, neutral choice is despacio: La copiadora imprime despacio.

Shouldn’t lento agree with copiadora and be lenta?

Not here. With action verbs you want an adverb, not an adjective. So you say imprime lento / lentamente / despacio, not imprime lenta. Use the adjective only with verbs like ser/estar: La copiadora es lenta.

Is despacio better than lento here? What’s the difference?

Despacio is a true adverb and is always correct with verbs: imprime despacio. Lento is technically an adjective but is widely used adverbially in everyday Latin American Spanish: imprime lento. Nuance: despacio focuses on the manner; lento can suggest slowness as a quality, but in practice both work. Avoid playful despacito in this context.

Why por la tarde and not en la tarde?

Both appear in Latin America. Por la tarde is widely understood and slightly more universal. En la tarde is common in parts of the Caribbean, Colombia, Central America, and Mexico. Meaning is the same: “in the afternoon.” In Spain, por la tarde is strongly preferred.

When do I use de la tarde?

Use de la tarde with specific clock times: a las 3 de la tarde, son las 5 de la tarde. Don’t use it alone to mean “in the afternoon.” For the general time period, say por la tarde / en la tarde or durante la tarde.

Can I say por las tardes?

Yes. Por las tardes emphasizes a habitual, repeated action (“in the afternoons” as a routine). Por la tarde can be either a general time frame or habitual, depending on context. Example: Por las tardes, la copiadora imprime lento.

Is imprimir transitive? There’s no object here.

Yes, imprimir is typically transitive (you print something): imprimir un documento. But it’s also used intransitively to talk about a device’s functioning: La impresora no imprime (“the printer won’t print”). Your sentence uses that intransitive sense.

What form is imprime?

It’s third person singular, present indicative of imprimir: yo imprimo, tú imprimes, él/ella/usted imprime, nosotros imprimimos, ustedes/ellos imprimen. It describes a present, habitual fact.

Could I use the progressive and say está imprimiendo?

You could, but the meaning changes. La copiadora está imprimiendo lentamente means it is currently printing slowly (right now). The original imprime states a general/habitual tendency, especially with por la tarde.

Can I move the time phrase to the front?

Yes. Word order is flexible for emphasis:

Por la tarde, la copiadora imprime lento.
La copiadora imprime lento por la tarde. A comma after a fronted time phrase is common but not mandatory.

Why la copiadora and not el copiador?

The machine is la copiadora (also la fotocopiadora). The masculine copiador usually refers to a person or a tool/function, not the office machine. Another common machine word is la impresora (printer).

But a copier “copies,” not “prints.” Is imprimir okay with copiadora?

In many offices, a copiadora is a multifunction device that also prints, so La copiadora imprime… is natural. If you mean strictly printing, la impresora is precise. If you mean making copies, use sacar copias: La fotocopiadora saca copias despacio por la tarde.

Any quick pronunciation tips?

copiadora: co-pia-DO-ra (stress on DO)
imprime: im-PRI-me (stress on PRI)
tarde: TAR-de (stress on TAR) No written accents in these words.

Can I omit the article and say por tarde?

No. Use the article: por la tarde. With a habitual plural: por las tardes. The article is part of the fixed expression for time of day (same with por la mañana, por la noche).

How could I say “slower than usual” or intensify it?

Comparative: imprime más lento de lo normal por la tarde / imprime más despacio de lo normal por la tarde.
Intensifier: imprime muy lentamente por la tarde / imprime bien despacio por la tarde (colloquial).