Word
Mi hermana usa la aspiradora en la sala.
Meaning
My sister uses the vacuum cleaner in the living room.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Lesson
Breakdown of Mi hermana usa la aspiradora en la sala.
usar
to use
en
in
mi
my
la hermana
the sister
la sala
the living room
la aspiradora
the vacuum cleaner
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Questions & Answers about Mi hermana usa la aspiradora en la sala.
Is usa la aspiradora the most natural way to say “vacuum(s)” in Latin American Spanish? Are there other common options?
It’s totally understandable and fine, but the most idiomatic, everyday way is usually pasar la aspiradora. You’ll also hear the verb aspirar used for vacuuming.
- More idiomatic: Mi hermana pasa la aspiradora en la sala.
- Also common: Mi hermana aspira la sala.
- Yours is fine too: Mi hermana usa la aspiradora en la sala.
Why is there a la before aspiradora? Could I say usa aspiradora or usa una aspiradora?
Spanish generally uses an article with singular, countable nouns.
If I replace la aspiradora with a pronoun, where does it go?
Use the feminine direct object pronoun la for aspiradora.
- Before a conjugated verb: Mi hermana la usa en la sala.
- With a periphrasis:
- Before the auxiliary: Mi hermana la está usando en la sala.
- Attached to a gerund (add accent): Mi hermana está usándola en la sala.
- With the idiomatic verb: Mi hermana la pasa en la sala.
Does usa mean she’s doing it right now or that she does it habitually?
Can I move en la sala to another position?
Does sala always mean “living room”? What about salón?
Why is it en la sala, not en el sala?
Do I need any contraction in en la? Are there contractions to watch out for?
No contraction here. Spanish only contracts:
- a + el → al
- de + el → del
There’s no contraction with en: en la, en el stay as they are.
Is usar a regular verb? How do I conjugate it in the present?
Pronunciation tips for the sentence?
How would I say it in the plural (e.g., “My sisters vacuum in the living room”)?
Is Mi hermana aspira la sala correct and common?
Does aspirar ever mean something else, like “to aspire”?
Can I say it using limpiar?
Is Mi hermana en la sala usa la aspiradora okay?
Why is mi written without an accent in Mi hermana? What’s the difference between mi and mí?
- mi (no accent) = “my” (possessive): mi hermana, mi casa.
- mí (with accent) = “me” after a preposition: para mí, de mí, a mí.