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El fregadero pierde agua y el suelo está resbaladizo.

El fregadero pierde agua y el suelo está resbaladizo.
The sink leaks and the floor is slippery.
FromLesson 41inHardcore Spanish (Latin America)

Breakdown of El fregadero pierde agua y el suelo está resbaladizo.

estar
to be
y
and
el agua
the water
el fregadero
the sink
perder
to leak
el suelo
the floor
resbaladizo
slippery

Questions & Answers about El fregadero pierde agua y el suelo está resbaladizo.

What does pierde agua mean here—literally and idiomatically?

Literally, it’s “loses water.” Idiomatically, it means “is leaking.” So El fregadero pierde agua = “The sink is leaking.” Common alternatives:

  • El fregadero gotea / está goteando.
  • El fregadero tiene una fuga.
  • Se sale el agua del fregadero.
Can I say está perdiendo agua instead of pierde agua?
Yes. Está perdiendo agua emphasizes the ongoing action (like English “is leaking right now”). Spanish also uses the simple present (pierde agua) for current, ongoing situations, so both are fine. The simple present is very common.
Is fregadero the usual word for “sink” in Latin America?

Generally yes, for a kitchen sink. But regional variants exist:

  • Bathroom sink: lavamanos (widespread).
  • Some countries use lavaplatos for the kitchen sink, but in many places lavaplatos means “dishwasher,” so be careful.
  • Argentina/Uruguay: bacha or pileta (kitchen sink).
  • A utility sink (laundry area) can be lavadero (the area) or pileta/bacha (the basin).
Is el suelo the normal way to say “floor” in Latin America?
In much of Latin America, piso is more common for “floor” indoors. Suelo often refers to “ground/soil” or the ground in general. Your sentence is perfectly correct, but many would say: El piso está resbaladizo (or resbaloso; see below).
What’s the difference between resbaladizo and resbaloso?
Both mean “slippery.” Resbaladizo is a bit more general/standard; resbaloso is very common in many parts of Latin America and may feel more colloquial there. Either works: El piso está resbaladizo/resbaloso.
Why is it está resbaladizo and not es resbaladizo?
Use estar for temporary states or conditions. The floor is slippery right now, not inherently. Es resbaladizo would suggest it’s inherently slippery (e.g., a permanently slick surface).
Could I say resbalado instead of resbaladizo/resbaloso?
Not really. Resbalado is the past participle of resbalar (“to slip”) and usually means “slipped” or “sliding,” not “slippery” as a property. Use resbaladizo or resbaloso for “slippery.”
Does resbaladizo agree with suelo in gender and number?
Yes. Suelo is masculine singular, so resbaladizo. For a feminine noun: la superficie está resbaladiza. Plural masculine: Los pisos están resbaladizos; plural feminine: Las superficies están resbaladizas.
Why is there no article before agua in pierde agua?
Because it’s an uncountable/mass noun here—“loses water” in general. Adding the definite article (pierde el agua) would imply specific, identified water, which usually sounds odd unless the context demands it. You can quantify it: pierde mucha agua / un poco de agua.
Is agua masculine? I’ve seen el agua but also agua fría.
Agua is feminine. It takes the masculine article el in the singular when the noun is immediately after the article and starts with a stressed “a” sound: el agua. Agreement stays feminine: el agua fría, mucha agua, esta agua. In the plural, it’s las aguas frías.
Could I say El fregadero gotea y el piso está mojado?

Yes, but it changes the nuance:

  • gotea = “drips.”
  • mojado = “wet.” Your original resbaladizo/resbaloso stresses the hazard (slippery), not just wetness. Signs often say Piso mojado (Wet floor), but if you mean “slippery,” piso resbaloso is clearer.
Is pierde irregular here?
Yes. Perder is an e→ie stem-changing verb in the present: yo pierdo, tú pierdes, él/ella pierde, nosotros perdemos, ustedes/ellos pierden. Past (preterite): perdí, perdiste, perdió, perdimos, perdieron. Gerund: perdiendo.
Could I use a “se” construction like Se está filtrando agua?

Yes. Natural alternatives:

  • Se está filtrando agua.
  • Se sale el agua.
  • Hay una fuga en el fregadero. These are all common ways to describe leaks.
Does y ever change to e here (before el)? Why not?
No change here. Y becomes e only before words starting with the “i” sound (spelled i- or hi-): e inteligente, e hijo. Since el starts with “e,” not the “i” sound, you keep y.
Is the word order fixed, or can I say El suelo está resbaladizo y el fregadero pierde agua?
You can switch the clauses. Both orders are fine; choose based on what you want to highlight first.
Any pronunciation tips for these words?
  • fregadero: fre-ga-DE-ro (stress on “de”).
  • pierde: PYER-de (the “ie” is a glide; “r” is a single tap).
  • agua: A-gwa (the “g” + “u” gives a “gw” sound).
  • suelo: SWE-lo (the “ue” is like “we”).
  • resbaladizo: res-ba-la-DEE-so (Latin America often pronounces “z” like “s”).
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