Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Mi sobrina practica el violín cada tarde en el dormitorio. - My niece practices the violin every afternoon in the bedroom.

Mi sobrina practica el violín cada tarde en el dormitorio.

My niece practices the violin every afternoon in the bedroom.

Breakdown of Mi sobrina practica el violín cada tarde en el dormitorio.

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Questions & Answers about Mi sobrina practica el violín cada tarde en el dormitorio.

Why is it “mi sobrina” and not “me sobrina”?

In Spanish, “mi” is a possessive adjective meaning “my”. It always goes before the noun:

mi sobrina = my niece
mi casa = my house

“me” is an object pronoun (me, to me), not a possessive. You use “me” with verbs, not before nouns:

Ella me ayuda. = She helps me.
❌ me sobrina (incorrect for “my niece”)

What does “sobrina” mean exactly, and how do I say “nephew”?

“Sobrina” means “niece” (female child of your brother or sister).

The masculine form is “sobrino”, which means “nephew”.

Mi sobrina practica el violín. = My niece practices the violin.
Mi sobrino practica el violín. = My nephew practices the violin.

Plural:

Mis sobrinas = my nieces
Mis sobrinos = my nephews / my nieces and nephews

Why does it say “practica” and not “practicar” or “practico”?

“Practica” is the third person singular form of the verb practicar in the present tense:

Yo practico = I practice
Tú practicas = You (informal) practice
Él / Ella practica = He / She practices

Here the subject is “mi sobrina” (she), so the verb must be “practica”:

Mi sobrina practica… = My niece practices…

“Practicar” is the infinitive (to practice), and “practico” would mean “I practice.”

In English we say “play the violin.” Why is it “practica el violín” instead of “toca el violín”?

Spanish has two common verbs here:

tocar el violín = to play the violin (performing/playing)
practicar el violín = to practice the violin (doing exercises, rehearsing)

Your sentence emphasizes that she practices regularly as a habit. If you just want to say she plays the violin (that’s her instrument), you’d usually say:

Mi sobrina toca el violín. = My niece plays the violin.

Both sentences are correct; they focus on different aspects of the activity.

Why do we say “el violín” and not just “violín”?

In Spanish, musical instruments almost always take the definite article (el, la) after verbs like tocar or practicar:

Toco el piano. = I play the piano.
Ella practica la guitarra. = She practices the guitar.
Mi sobrina practica el violín. = My niece practices the violin.

Leaving out the article (“practica violín”) is not standard in most contexts, especially for learners. The natural, neutral form is with the article.

Why is it “cada tarde” and not “cada las tardes” or “cada la tarde”?

“Cada” (each/every) goes directly before a singular noun without an article:

cada tarde = each/every afternoon
cada día = every day
cada semana = every week

So you say:

✅ cada tarde
❌ cada las tardes
❌ cada la tarde

If you want to use an article and a plural noun, you use “todas” instead:

todas las tardes = every afternoon / all the afternoons

Is there a difference between “cada tarde” and “todas las tardes”?

Both usually translate as “every afternoon” and are often interchangeable.

cada tarde – slightly more literal, “each afternoon,” often sounds a bit more neutral or matter‑of‑fact.
todas las tardes – “all the afternoons” / “every afternoon,” can feel more strongly habitual or emphasise the regularity.

In everyday speech, both are very common:

Mi sobrina practica el violín cada tarde.
Mi sobrina practica el violín todas las tardes.

Both are correct and natural.

Why is it “en el dormitorio” and not “en su dormitorio”?

“En el dormitorio” means “in the bedroom” (some bedroom, context suggests it’s hers).
“En su dormitorio” means “in her bedroom.”

Both are grammatically correct. Adding “su” makes it explicit that it’s her bedroom:

Mi sobrina practica el violín en el dormitorio.
→ Context usually tells us it’s her room.
Mi sobrina practica el violín en su dormitorio.
→ Explicitly “in her bedroom.”

In many real situations, speakers omit “su” if it’s obvious whose room it is.

Could I say “cuarto” or “habitación” instead of “dormitorio”?

Yes, but there are regional preferences:

dormitorio – neutral, common; specifically “bedroom.”
cuarto – very common in much of Latin America for “room” and often used for “bedroom.”
habitación – also means “room/bedroom,” slightly more formal or used in hotel contexts.

In Latin America, “en el cuarto” is extremely common for “in the bedroom”:

Mi sobrina practica el violín en el dormitorio.
Mi sobrina practica el violín en el cuarto.
Mi sobrina practica el violín en su habitación.

All are understandable; choice depends on region and style.

Why is there no word for “she” in “Mi sobrina practica…”?

Spanish often omits subject pronouns (yo, tú, él, ella, etc.) because the verb ending shows the subject.

Practica already tells you it’s he/she/it (third person singular).
The noun “mi sobrina” clearly identifies who, so “ella” is not needed.

You could say “Ella practica el violín”, but when you name the subject (mi sobrina), you normally do not add the pronoun:

✅ Mi sobrina practica el violín.
❌ Mi sobrina ella practica el violín. (sounds wrong/redundant)

What tense is “practica”, and does it mean “practices” or “is practicing”?

“Practica” is present indicative (simple present).

In Spanish, this tense can cover both:

She practices (habit)
She is practicing (right now), depending on context

So:

Mi sobrina practica el violín cada tarde.
→ She practices the violin every afternoon.

If you really want to emphasize “right now,” you can use the present progressive:

Mi sobrina está practicando el violín. = My niece is practicing the violin (right now).

Why is there no article before “tarde” in “cada tarde”, but there is one in “el dormitorio”?

Two different patterns:

With “cada” (each/every), Spanish does not use an article:
- cada tarde, cada día, cada semana
With normal nouns in location phrases, you usually do use the definite article:
- en el dormitorio = in the bedroom
- en la escuela = at school
- en la casa = in the house

So the sentence follows both rules:
cada tarde (no article) + en el dormitorio (with article).

Is the word order fixed, or can I move parts of the sentence around?

Spanish word order is more flexible than English, but some options sound more natural than others.

The most neutral here is:

Mi sobrina practica el violín cada tarde en el dormitorio.

Possible variations (still natural):

Mi sobrina practica el violín en el dormitorio cada tarde.
Cada tarde, mi sobrina practica el violín en el dormitorio.

You generally keep:

Subject (mi sobrina)
Verb (practica)
Object (el violín)

Then you can move the time and place phrases around with some freedom.

How would I say “My nieces practice the violin every afternoon in the bedroom”?

You need plural for both the subject and the verb:

Mis sobrinas practican el violín cada tarde en el dormitorio.

Changes:

mi sobrina → mis sobrinas (my nieces)
practica → practican (they practice)

Everything else stays the same.