Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): La aspiradora nueva es silenciosa y recoge el polvo rápido. - The new vacuum cleaner is quiet and picks up dust quickly.

Because aspiradora is a feminine noun. Many Spanish nouns for machines and tools formed with the suffix -dora (from the verb plus -dor/-dora) are feminine: la licuadora, la lavadora, la secadora. There is a masculine form aspirador in some regions, but the common word for “vacuum cleaner” across Latin America is la aspiradora.

Can I say “la nueva aspiradora” instead of “la aspiradora nueva”? Is there a difference?

Both are correct, but there’s a nuance:

La nueva aspiradora often means “the new (another/replacement) vacuum,” focusing on it being new to me/another one.
La aspiradora nueva tends to mean “the brand-new vacuum,” highlighting its new condition. In everyday speech, many people use both without stressing the difference.

Why is it “es silenciosa” and not “está silenciosa”?

Use ser (es) for inherent or general qualities. Saying es silenciosa describes the vacuum’s typical characteristic. Está silenciosa would suggest a temporary state (“it is quiet right now”), which is unusual for a machine unless you’re contrasting moments.

Why does “silenciosa” end in -a?

Adjectives agree with the noun in gender and number. Aspiradora is feminine singular, so the adjective is feminine singular: silenciosa. If it were plural, you’d say silenciosas.

What does “recoge” mean exactly, and why not “recoges”?

Recoge is the 3rd person singular present indicative of recoger (“to pick up/collect”). It matches the subject La aspiradora (“it picks up”). Recoges is 2nd person singular (“you pick up”), which doesn’t fit here.

How do you pronounce “recoge”? What sound does the “g” make?

In Latin American Spanish, ge/gi are pronounced with a sound like Spanish j (a throaty h). Recoge sounds like “reh-KOH-heh,” with the “g” as a rough h.

Is “rápido” correct as an adverb here, or should it be “rápidamente”?

Both are correct. In Spanish, rápido is commonly used as an adverb in speech: recoge el polvo rápido. Rápidamente is the formal adverb and sounds a bit more formal or careful: recoge el polvo rápidamente.

Why does “rápido” have an accent?

Rápido is stressed on the third-to-last syllable (RA-pi-do), which makes it an “esdrújula.” All esdrújulas in Spanish carry a written accent: rápido.

Can I move the adverb? For example, “recoge rápido el polvo” or “rápidamente recoge el polvo”?

Yes. Adverbs are flexible:

Recoge el polvo rápido.
Recoge rápido el polvo.
Rápidamente recoge el polvo. The changes are stylistic; post-verb placement is most common in speech.

Why is it “el polvo”? Could I just say “recoge polvo”?

You can say either. El polvo with the definite article often refers to the particular dust present (“the dust that’s there”). Recoge polvo is more generic (“picks up dust”). Both are natural depending on what you want to emphasize.

Does “polvo” ever mean “powder,” and is there any slang to be aware of?

Yes, polvo can mean “powder” (e.g., polvo de talco = talcum powder). There’s also slang (e.g., echar un polvo), but in this sentence el polvo clearly means “dust.”

Could I use “aspirar” instead of “recoger” here?

Yes. You can say:

La aspiradora nueva aspira el polvo rápido. Also common is the verb phrase pasar la aspiradora (“to vacuum”): La aspiradora nueva es silenciosa y pasa la aspiradora rápido is unidiomatic because the subject is the machine; better with a person: Yo paso la aspiradora rápido.

Is “silencioso/a” the right word for a quiet machine? What about “callado/a”?

For a machine, silencioso/a is the natural choice. Callado/a usually describes a person who is quiet (not talking), not a device.

Could I add intensifiers like “muy” or “bastante”?

Absolutely:

La aspiradora nueva es muy silenciosa y recoge el polvo muy rápido.
… es bastante silenciosa y recoge el polvo bastante rápido.

How would the sentence change in the plural?

Las aspiradoras nuevas son silenciosas y recogen el polvo rápido. Note the plural agreement: las/aspiradoras/nuevas/son/silenciosas/recogen.

Does the present tense “recoge” mean right now or in general?

In Spanish, the simple present often expresses general/habitual truths. Recoge here means “it picks up (in general).” For “right now,” you’d use the progressive: está recogiendo.

Is a comma needed before “y”?

No comma is needed. The subject is the same for both verbs, so La aspiradora nueva es silenciosa y recoge… flows naturally without a comma.

Could I drop the article and say “Aspiradora nueva es silenciosa…”?

In standard Spanish, singular countable nouns normally take an article. You need La aspiradora nueva… Dropping the article sounds ungrammatical here.

Are adjectives always placed after nouns in Spanish?

Not always, but that’s the default. Many adjectives can go before or after with nuance. With nuevo/a, placement changes the shade of meaning (another vs brand-new), as explained above.

Any spelling quirks with “recoger”?

Yes. The “yo” form changes to keep the soft sound: yo recojo (g → j before “o”). Other forms keep g: recoge, recoges, recogemos, etc.