Breakdown of Estudio español durante la noche.
Questions & Answers about Estudio español durante la noche.
In Spanish, the subject pronoun (like yo = I) is often dropped because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.
- Estudio = I study (the -o ending tells us it’s “I”).
So “Yo estudio español durante la noche” is correct, but “Estudio español durante la noche” is more natural and not incomplete. Both mean I study Spanish at night.
In Spanish, names of languages and nationalities are not capitalized, unless they start a sentence.
- English: Spanish, English, French
- Spanish: español, inglés, francés
So “Estudio español…” is correct, and writing “Estudio Español…” would be a spelling mistake.
In this sentence, español is a noun meaning the Spanish language, and language names are masculine in Spanish.
- el español = the Spanish language (masculine)
“española” is the feminine adjective or noun for a female person:
- una mujer española = a Spanish woman
- una española = a Spanish (woman)
So you study español (the language), not española.
All three are possible, but not identical:
- durante la noche = during the night (emphasizes the period of time)
- por la noche = at night / in the evenings (common, especially in Spain)
- en la noche = also at night; very common in much of Latin America
In Latin America, you will often hear:
- Estudio español en la noche.
Your sentence with “durante” sounds like you’re highlighting the duration or that the activity takes place throughout that nighttime period, but in everyday speech, por la noche or en la noche is more common for “at night.”
In Spanish, times of day usually take the definite article:
- la mañana = the morning
- la tarde = the afternoon
- la noche = the night
So you normally say:
- por la mañana, por la tarde, por la noche
- durante la noche
Saying “durante noche” (without la) sounds ungrammatical or very strange. The article is required in this kind of expression.
Estudio is the simple present (presente de indicativo):
- Estudio español durante la noche.
= I study / I am studying Spanish at night.
Estoy estudiando is the present progressive:
- Estoy estudiando español durante la noche.
= I am studying Spanish at night (right now / these days).
In Spanish, the simple present is used a lot more broadly than in English. It can mean:
- a habit (I usually study at night)
- something happening around now
So “Estudio español durante la noche” is usually enough, and very natural.
Yes, you can. Both are correct:
- Estudio español durante la noche.
- Durante la noche estudio español.
The basic meaning is the same. Putting “Durante la noche” first can give it a bit more emphasis (focusing on when you study), but it’s a subtle difference. Both are normal and natural.
When talking about languages as objects of certain verbs (like hablar, estudiar, aprender, saber), Spanish often omits the article:
- Estudio español. = I study Spanish.
- Quiero aprender francés. = I want to learn French.
You can say “Estudio el español”, and it’s not wrong, but it can sound more formal or theoretical, like talking about the language as a school subject or an object of study rather than just a skill you are learning.
In everyday speech, “Estudio español” is the most natural.
Using the preterite for a completed action in the past:
- Estudié español durante la noche.
= I studied Spanish during the night (on a specific occasion or completed period).
Using the imperfect for a repeated or habitual action in the past:
- Estudiaba español durante la noche.
= I used to study / would study Spanish at night.
For the future:
- Estudiaré español durante la noche.
= I will study Spanish at night.
All keep “durante la noche” the same; only the verb form changes.
- español is pronounced roughly [es-pa-NYOL].
- The letter ñ represents a sound like the “ny” in “canyon” or “onion”.
So:
- es — like es in escape but shorter
- pa — like pa in pasta
- ñol — like nyol (ny + ol), with the stress here: es-pa-ÑOL
The accent mark on ó shows that this is the stressed syllable.