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Questions & Answers about La moda cambia rápido.
Why is there a la before moda?
Spanish typically uses the definite article to talk about things in general. La moda means “fashion (as a concept/industry).” Dropping the article (Moda cambia rápido) sounds unnatural in standard Spanish.
Why is moda feminine?
Many nouns ending in -a are feminine, and moda is one of them, so it takes la and feminine agreements (e.g., la moda elegante). It’s not one of the masculine exceptions like el día or el mapa.
Can I say Las modas cambian rápido instead?
Yes. La moda cambia rápido = “Fashion (as a whole) changes quickly.”
Las modas cambian rápido = “Fads/trends change quickly,” focusing on individual trends in the plural. Both are correct, with a nuance difference.
What form is cambia?
It’s the 3rd person singular present indicative of cambiar (“to change”): (la moda) cambia. Spanish usually omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the subject.
Why not está cambiando?
Use the simple present (cambia) for general truths and habitual statements. La moda está cambiando rápido highlights an ongoing change “right now.” Both are correct; they just frame the time differently.
Should cambia have an accent (like cambía)?
No. By default, words ending in a vowel are stressed on the second-to-last syllable, so it’s CAM-bia. An accent (cambía) would force the stress to “bí,” which is incorrect here.
Is rápido an adjective or an adverb here? Why not rápida?
Here rápido functions as an adverb modifying the verb (cambia), so it’s invariable—no gender/number change. Rápida would be an adjective describing a feminine noun, e.g., La moda es rápida (“Fashion is fast”), which is a different structure.
Is rápidamente also correct? Any difference from rápido?
Yes, rápidamente is fully correct and a bit more formal or careful in tone. Rápido as an adverb is very common in everyday speech. Note that adverbs in -mente keep any original accent: rápido → rápidamente.
Can rápido go before the verb?
The neutral place is after the verb: La moda cambia rápido. Preposing it (Rápido cambia la moda) is possible but sounds marked/poetic or used for emphasis. You’ll most often hear it after the verb.
How do I pronounce the tricky parts?
- moda: The d between vowels is soft; think a light “th/d” sound.
- cambia: b between vowels softens; -ia sounds like “ya,” so roughly “KAM-bya.”
- rápido: Roll the initial r slightly; stress the first syllable “RA.”
Do I really need the accent in rápido (even in ALL CAPS)?
Yes. The accent shows the correct stress (RA-pi-do). In proper Spanish, accents are kept even in capitals (RÁPIDO). Writing rapido may be seen informally but is orthographically incorrect.
Can I say La moda cambia mucho?
That means “Fashion changes a lot” (in degree/frequency), not “quickly.”
- Speed: cambia rápido / rápidamente
- Amount/frequency: cambia mucho
They answer different questions: “how fast?” vs. “how much/how often?”
Can I add intensifiers like English “very/too”?
Yes:
- La moda cambia muy rápido = very quickly
- La moda cambia demasiado rápido = too quickly
- La moda no cambia tan rápido = not that/so quickly
Why not La moda se cambia rápido?
Because cambiarse means “to change oneself” (often clothes). La moda se cambia would mean “fashion changes itself (as if changing clothes),” which is not the intended intransitive meaning. Use cambiar without se: La moda cambia.
Are there alternatives to rápido?
- rápidamente (more formal)
- deprisa / de prisa (very common; roughly “quickly/in a hurry”)
- Avoid pronto here; it means “soon,” not “quickly” in most of Latin America.
Colloquially you might also hear diminutives like rapidito (“really quick”).