Ahora uso un telescopio pequeño en la azotea para ver la superficie de la luna.

Now I use a small telescope on the rooftop to see the surface of the moon.

Breakdown of Ahora uso un telescopio pequeño en la azotea para ver la superficie de la luna.

• pequeño: small
• yo: I
• usar: to use
• ahora: now
• en: on
• de: of
• para: to
• un: a
• ver: to see
• la luna: the moon
• la azotea: the rooftop
• el telescopio: the telescope
• la superficie: the surface

Questions & Answers about Ahora uso un telescopio pequeño en la azotea para ver la superficie de la luna.

Why is the simple present uso used here instead of estoy usando?

In Spanish, the simple present (uso) is used more often than English uses the simple present. It can express:

• A current habit or new routine:
  Ahora uso un telescopio pequeño… = Now I use / These days I use a small telescope…

If you say:

• Ahora estoy usando un telescopio pequeño…
  that usually suggests an action going on right now (at this very moment), or something temporary.

So:

• Ahora uso un telescopio pequeño… → sounds more like “these days / from now on I use a small telescope”.
• Ahora estoy usando un telescopio pequeño… → sounds more like “right now I’m in the process of using a small telescope” (maybe just tonight, or for a limited time).

Can I move ahora to another position, like in English?

Yes. Ahora is quite flexible in word order, just like “now” in English. All of these are grammatically correct:

• Ahora uso un telescopio pequeño…
• Uso ahora un telescopio pequeño…
• Uso un telescopio pequeño ahora…

They all mean essentially the same thing. The most natural, neutral positions are usually:

• At the beginning: Ahora uso…
• Or near the verb: Uso ahora…

Putting it at the very end (…ahora) is still correct but may feel slightly more informal or conversational, depending on context.

Why is it un telescopio pequeño and not un pequeño telescopio? Which word order is more natural?

In Spanish, the default order is noun + adjective:

• un telescopio pequeño = a small telescope

You can say un pequeño telescopio, but changing the order often adds a subtle nuance:

• un telescopio pequeño → neutral description: it’s small (just stating size).
• un pequeño telescopio → can sound slightly more subjective, sometimes with a tone like “just a small telescope / a modest little telescope”.

Both are correct. In everyday speech, noun + adjective (telescopio pequeño) is more common and neutral.

Why is it en la azotea instead of en el azotea? What is azotea exactly?

• Azotea is a feminine noun, so it takes la, not el:
  • la azotea = the rooftop (usually a flat roof you can stand or walk on)

In many parts of Latin America:

• azotea usually means a flat, usable roof, often where people can hang clothes, put plants, sit, etc.
• techo is more general and usually means “roof” as a structure, or “ceiling” inside a room.

So:

• en la azotea = on the rooftop (where you can be physically)
• en el techo could work in some regions to mean “on the roof”, but it more often just means the roof/ceiling as a part of the building, not necessarily a place you go to spend time.

Terraza (terrace) is another common word for an outdoor elevated area, but it doesn’t have to be the actual roof.

Could I say sobre la azotea instead of en la azotea?

Not in the same sense. The prepositions are different:

• en la azotea = on the rooftop / up on the roof (you are there)
• sobre la azotea = over/above the rooftop (physically above it, not standing on it)

So to say you are on the rooftop, use en la azotea, not sobre la azotea.

Why is it para ver and not a ver or por ver?

Para is the usual preposition to express purpose (“in order to”):

• …en la azotea para ver la superficie de la luna.
  = “…on the rooftop in order to see the surface of the moon.”

Comparisons:

• a ver is a fixed expression that usually means something like “let’s see”, “let me see”, or is used when you’re about to do/check something:
  • A ver… = “Let’s see…”
• por ver is rare and would have a different meaning, like “because of seeing” or “for having seen”, and doesn’t fit here.

So para + infinitive (para ver) is the standard way to say “to see / in order to see” when explaining a purpose.

What is the difference between ver and mirar here? Could I say para mirar la superficie de la luna?

You could say para mirar la superficie de la luna, but ver is more natural in this context.

General idea:

• ver ≈ “to see” (perception, what enters your field of vision)
• mirar ≈ “to look (at)” (the action of directing your eyes at something)

With telescopes, binoculars, etc., both verbs can appear, but:

• ver la superficie de la luna sounds like “to be able to see the surface (thanks to the telescope)”.
• mirar la superficie de la luna emphasizes the act of looking at it.

In practice, ver is very common when talking about what you can observe through a telescope.

Why is it la superficie de la luna? Why use de here?

In Spanish, the relationship “X of Y” is usually expressed with de:

• la superficie de la luna = the surface of the moon

So it’s built as:

• la superficie (the surface)
• de (of)
• la luna (the moon)

This is the standard way to express possession or a part–whole relationship (surface of the moon, color of the sky, etc.):

• el color del cielo = the color of the sky
• la superficie del agua = the surface of the water

Why is luna written in lowercase here? Sometimes I see Luna capitalized.

In Spanish:

• la luna (lowercase) is used when you talk about “the moon” in a general, everyday sense.
• la Luna (capital L) is more common when treating the Moon as an astronomical name, like a proper noun (especially in scientific or formal texts).

So in a normal sentence about looking at the moon from your rooftop, la luna (lowercase) is perfectly natural. Using la Luna would not be wrong, just a bit more formal/technical.

Could I leave out the article and say uso telescopio pequeño or para ver superficie de la luna?

In standard Spanish, you usually need the article in these cases:

• uso un telescopio pequeño (not uso telescopio pequeño)
• para ver la superficie de la luna (not para ver superficie de la luna)

Unlike English, Spanish generally does not drop articles with singular countable nouns in this kind of sentence. You almost always need un/una or el/la (or plural equivalents):

• Compro un libro. = I buy a book. (not compro libro)
• Veo la casa. = I see the house. (not veo casa)

There are a few special idioms where the article is dropped, but your sentence is not one of those cases.

How do I know the genders in un telescopio pequeño and la superficie de la luna? Why telescopio is masculine and luna/superficie are feminine?

In Spanish, grammatical gender is mostly something you just have to learn with each noun, but there are some patterns:

• Nouns ending in -o are usually masculine:
  • el telescopio, un telescopio → masculine
    → adjective in the -o form: pequeño
• Nouns ending in -a are usually feminine:
  • la luna (feminine)
• Many nouns ending in -dad, -ción, -sión, -tad, -umbre and also -ice / -icie are typically feminine:
  • la superficie (feminine)

So:

• un telescopio pequeño
  (telescopio = masculine → un, pequeño)
• la superficie de la luna
  (superficie = feminine → la; luna = feminine → la)

What does uso mean exactly? Is it different from utilizo?

Both uso and utilizo come from verbs meaning “to use”:

• uso ← usar = to use
• utilizo ← utilizar = to use, to utilize

In most everyday contexts, usar and utilizar are practically interchangeable:

• Ahora uso un telescopio pequeño…
• Ahora utilizo un telescopio pequeño…

Both sound natural. Usar/uso is:

• More common and slightly more informal.

Utilizar/utilizo can feel:

• Slightly more formal or technical, but not by much.

In your sentence, uso is the most natural, colloquial choice.