Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Mi hermana siempre revisa la etiqueta porque evita las grasas muy pesadas. - My sister always checks the label because she avoids very heavy fats.

revisa = he/she checks (3rd person singular)
From context (Mi hermana), it’s clear that the subject is ella, so saying Mi hermana ella siempre revisa… would be redundant and sound unnatural.

You could add ella for emphasis or contrast, but it’s not needed here:

Mi hermana siempre revisa la etiqueta… (normal)
Mi hermana, ella siempre revisa la etiqueta… (emphatic / contrasting with others)

What tense is revisa, and why not está revisando la etiqueta?

Revisa is the simple present tense (presente de indicativo).

In Spanish, the simple present is used both for:

habits / routines:
- Mi hermana siempre revisa la etiqueta. = My sister always checks the label.
and actions happening now (in some contexts).

Está revisando la etiqueta (present progressive) is used more specifically for an action in progress right now:

Ahora mismo está revisando la etiqueta. = Right now she is checking the label.

Here we’re talking about a habit, so revisa is the natural choice.

What’s the difference between revisar and leer in this context?

leer = to read (focus on the act of reading text).
revisar = to check, to review (focus on checking something for specific information, errors, or quality).

In the sentence:

Mi hermana siempre revisa la etiqueta…
This suggests she checks the label carefully to see what kind of fats it has, not just that she reads it in general.

You could say:

Mi hermana siempre lee la etiqueta…
but it sounds more like “she always reads the label” without emphasizing the idea of verifying or inspecting it.

What does la etiqueta mean here? Is it related to “etiquette” in English?

Etiqueta in Spanish has two main meanings:

Label / tag (on clothes, products, food packaging, etc.)
- la etiqueta de la ropa = clothing label
- la etiqueta nutricional = nutrition label
Etiquette / good manners
- las normas de etiqueta = rules of etiquette

In your sentence:

Mi hermana siempre revisa la etiqueta…
This clearly means the (product/food) label, especially in context with grasas muy pesadas (heavy fats). It’s not about social etiquette here.

So yes, it’s a false friend: etiqueta ≠ English etiquette in this sentence.

Why is it la etiqueta and not su etiqueta or just etiqueta?

la etiqueta = the label (a specific label on the product she’s looking at)
In Spanish, definite articles (el, la, los, las) are used more often than in English.

We don’t say su etiqueta because it’s not her label; it’s the label on the product, not something she owns.
Leaving out the article (revisa etiqueta) is ungrammatical in this context. Common countable nouns almost always need an article or other determiner (la, una, esa, etc.) in Spanish.

Can siempre be placed somewhere else in the sentence?

Yes, siempre (always) can move around somewhat, and the meaning stays similar. The most natural options:

Mi hermana siempre revisa la etiqueta… (most common)
Siempre mi hermana revisa la etiqueta… (possible, but sounds a bit marked or emphatic)
Mi hermana revisa siempre la etiqueta… (also fine; slightly more emphasis on always)

You wouldn’t normally put siempre between the verb and its direct object:

❌ Mi hermana revisa la etiqueta siempre – understandable, but sounds less natural and a bit clunky in neutral speech.

What’s the difference between porque and por qué?

porque = because (used to give a reason)
- No sale porque está lloviendo. = He doesn’t go out because it’s raining.
- …porque evita las grasas muy pesadas. = because she avoids very heavy fats.
por qué = why (used in questions)
- ¿Por qué no sale? = Why doesn’t he go out?
- ¿Por qué evita las grasas muy pesadas? = Why does she avoid very heavy fats?

So in your sentence, porque is correct because it’s explaining the reason.

What does evita mean exactly? Is it like “prevents”?

Evita is the 3rd person singular of evitar, which primarily means to avoid.

evitar algo = to avoid something
- Evita el azúcar. = She avoids sugar.

It can sometimes overlap with to prevent (especially evitar que + subjunctive):

Evita que se enferme. = He prevents him from getting sick.

But in your sentence:

porque evita las grasas muy pesadas
This clearly means she avoids very heavy fats (she chooses not to consume them), not that she prevents the fats from existing.

Why is it las grasas and not just grasa?

In Spanish, grasa can be:

uncountable: fat in general
- La grasa no es buena en exceso. = Fat isn’t good in excess.
countable (plural: grasas): different types or sources of fat
- las grasas saturadas, las grasas trans = saturated fats, trans fats
- evita las grasas muy pesadas = she avoids (the) very heavy/greasy fats (types of fats or fatty foods)

Using las grasas here suggests kinds of fats or fatty ingredients/foods that are heavy or hard to digest.
Evita la grasa muy pesada would be understood, but sounds more like “the (general) heavy fat,” less like categories.

Why is the adjective placed after the noun: las grasas muy pesadas, not las muy pesadas grasas?

In Spanish, the default position of most descriptive adjectives is after the noun:

grasas pesadas = heavy fats
una casa grande = a big house
un coche caro = an expensive car

So:

las grasas muy pesadas (noun + adverb + adjective) is the normal structure.

las muy pesadas grasas is grammatically possible but sounds poetic, emphatic, or unusual in everyday speech. It would draw special attention to muy pesadas, as if you were dramatically highlighting how extremely heavy they are.

What nuance does grasas muy pesadas have? Does pesadas mean “heavy” in weight?

Pesado/pesada literally means heavy (in weight), but with food it often has a figurative meaning:

comida pesada = heavy food, hard to digest, very rich or greasy
grasas muy pesadas = very “heavy” fats, i.e. very greasy, rich, or hard-to-digest fats, not necessarily physically heavy.

So she avoids very rich / heavy / hard-to-digest fats rather than, for example, nuts just because they weigh a lot. The focus is on how the body feels or digests them.

Could the sentence be Mi hermana siempre revisa la etiqueta para evitar las grasas muy pesadas? What’s the difference?

Yes, that’s a very natural alternative, and it slightly changes the focus:

porque evita las grasas muy pesadas = because she avoids very heavy fats.
- Explains her general habit: she checks the label, and in general she avoids these fats. The checking and the avoiding are both ongoing habits.
para evitar las grasas muy pesadas = in order to avoid very heavy fats.
- Emphasizes purpose: the reason she checks the label is specifically so that she can avoid those fats when choosing products.

Both are correct; porque explains the reason/justification, para (in para evitar) explains the specific purpose of the action.