El candidato responde a cada pregunta con calma.

The candidate answers each question calmly.

Breakdown of El candidato responde a cada pregunta con calma.

• a: to
• la pregunta: the question
• con calma: calmly
• cada: each
• responder: to answer
• el candidato: the candidate

Questions & Answers about El candidato responde a cada pregunta con calma.

Why is it responde a and not just responde or responde cada pregunta?

With the meaning “to answer (a question),” Spanish commonly uses responder a + thing: responder a una pregunta. You can also use responder without an object if context makes it clear: No responde. In much of Latin America, the direct-object form responder la pregunta is also widely used and accepted. In careful or formal Spanish, responder a la pregunta is often preferred. So all of these can be heard:

• Responde a la pregunta.
• Responde la pregunta.
• Responde.

Could I use contesta instead of responde?

Yes. Contestar is a near-synonym of responder in this sense. Both are standard. With contestar, both patterns are fully standard:

• Contesta a cada pregunta.
• Contesta cada pregunta. Use whichever you prefer; in some regions, contestar sounds a bit more colloquial, but it’s perfectly fine.

What tense and person is responde?

It’s the present indicative, third person singular of responder. It can describe:

• An action happening right now: “is answering” (often Spanish uses the simple present for this).
• A habitual/general action: “answers (whenever asked).”

Could I say está respondiendo to emphasize “is answering (right now)”?

Yes: El candidato está respondiendo a cada pregunta con calma. The present progressive highlights an action in progress. Both forms are correct; the simple present is very common in Spanish even for current actions.

What’s the nuance of cada pregunta vs todas las preguntas?

• Cada pregunta = “each question,” focusing on them one by one.
• Todas las preguntas = “all the questions,” focusing on the whole set. Both are correct; choose based on the nuance you want.

Does cada force the noun to be singular?

Yes. Cada is always followed by a singular noun: cada pregunta, cada persona. It still refers to the whole set distributively (one by one). If you need a pronoun, use cada uno/una.

How would I say it for a female candidate?

Change the noun and article to feminine:

• La candidata responde a cada pregunta con calma.

Can I omit the subject and just say Responde a cada pregunta con calma?

Yes, if the subject is clear from context. Spanish often drops subject pronouns/nouns when they’re inferable. Without context, Responde… is ambiguous (he/she/it/you-formal).

Can I move con calma earlier in the sentence?

Yes. Spanish word order is flexible with adverbial phrases. All of these are natural:

• El candidato responde con calma a cada pregunta.
• Con calma, el candidato responde a cada pregunta. (more stylistic)

Is con calma the only or best way to say “calmly”?

It’s very idiomatic and common. Alternatives:

• tranquilamente
• con tranquilidad
• less common but correct: calmadamente They all work; con calma and tranquilamente are especially natural.

Can I use an adjective like responde calmado?

You can, but it changes the feel slightly:

• Responde con calma / tranquilamente describes the manner of answering (adverbial).
• Responde calmado / tranquilo describes the candidate’s state while answering. It’s acceptable, but the adverbial options are more neutral for “answers calmly.”

How do pronouns work if I want to replace a cada pregunta?

With the responder a + thing pattern, replace the noun phrase with a demonstrative or a pronoun phrase:

• El candidato responde a cada una con calma.
• If referring back to previously mentioned questions: El candidato responde a ellas con calma. Note: We normally don’t use le/les for inanimate “a + thing” here. Use a eso / a ella(s) instead.

If I use the direct-object pattern (responder la pregunta), how do I replace it with a pronoun?

Treat it like a direct object:

• El candidato la responde con calma. (referring to la pregunta)
• Plural: El candidato las responde todas con calma. With compound verbs, clitic placement follows the usual rules:
• La va a responder / Va a responderla

Is the a in responde a cada pregunta the “personal a”?

No. Here a is required by the verb’s construction (responder a + complemento). The “personal a” is used before direct objects that are people (e.g., Veo a Juan). Pregunta is a thing, not a person.

What does responder por mean, and can I use it here?

Responder por means “to vouch for/be accountable for.” It’s not used for answering questions. So don’t say responde por cada pregunta in this context.

What’s the difference between pregunta and cuestión?

• Pregunta is an actual question someone asks.
• Cuestión is an issue/matter/topic. In many contexts they’re not interchangeable: answering “questions” is preguntas, discussing “issues” is cuestiones.

Any accent issues with El?

Yes: El (article) has no accent; Él (pronoun) does. In your sentence it’s the article: El candidato… If you used the pronoun: Él responde…

How do I make the whole sentence plural?

Make both subject and verb plural, and keep agreement throughout:

• Los candidatos responden a cada pregunta con calma. If the addressee is plural questions, you still use singular after cada: cada pregunta.