Breakdown of Mi hermana prefiere el senderismo tranquilo, pero mi prima extrovertida entrena para un maratón de montaña.
Questions & Answers about Mi hermana prefiere el senderismo tranquilo, pero mi prima extrovertida entrena para un maratón de montaña.
In Spanish, short possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su, nuestro, etc.) usually replace the article, they don’t go with it.
So you say:
- mi hermana = my sister
- tu casa = your house
You would not say la mi hermana in standard Spanish. That structure exists in some other languages (like Italian), but not in modern Spanish.
The verb is preferir (to prefer).
- It’s irregular: preferir → prefiero, prefieres, prefiere, preferimos, prefieren in the present indicative.
- The subject here is mi hermana (she), so you need the third person singular: ella prefiere → mi hermana prefiere.
Prefiera is a different tense/mood (present subjunctive), which is not needed here.
In Spanish, many abstract or activity nouns use the definite article more often than English does:
- Me gusta el fútbol. = I like soccer.
- Prefiero el café. = I prefer coffee.
Similarly, el senderismo = hiking (the activity in general).
You could sometimes see prefiere senderismo tranquilo, but prefiere el senderismo tranquilo sounds more natural and specific: “she prefers calm/relaxed hiking (as a type of activity).”
Tranquilo literally means “calm, peaceful, quiet, relaxed.”
In el senderismo tranquilo, it suggests hiking that is:
- relaxed, not intense
- not too fast or competitive
- in peaceful environments
Depending on context, in English you might translate it as easygoing, relaxed, or gentle hiking.
The normal position for descriptive adjectives in Spanish is after the noun:
- senderismo tranquilo = calm hiking
- maratón de montaña difícil = tough mountain marathon
Some adjectives can go before the noun for stylistic or meaning changes, but tranquilo senderismo would sound unusual and a bit poetic/marked.
So el senderismo tranquilo is the natural word order.
The standard, neutral order in Spanish is possessive + noun + adjective:
- mi prima extrovertida = my extroverted cousin
You can say mi extrovertida prima, but:
- It sounds more expressive, emotional, or stylistic.
- It can suggest a stronger, more subjective opinion: “my very extroverted cousin,” or highlight the adjective more.
For everyday, neutral description, mi prima extrovertida is more common.
Spanish adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun:
- prima is feminine singular (ending in -a), so the adjective must also be feminine singular: extrovertida.
- If it were a male cousin (primo), you would say mi primo extrovertido.
- For more than one cousin: mis primas extrovertidas, mis primos extrovertidos.
Para is used to express purpose, goal, or destination.
- entrenar para un maratón = to train for a marathon (the marathon is the goal)
Por is more about cause, reason, exchange, duration, etc., and would not work for “training for a marathon” in this sense.
So entrena para un maratón de montaña = “she trains with the goal of a mountain marathon.”
Both are possible, but they don’t mean exactly the same:
- un maratón de montaña: a mountain marathon as a type of race (trail/mountain running event).
- un maratón en la montaña: a marathon that happens to be in the mountains (location focus).
In sports, Spanish often uses noun + de + noun to name the type of event:
- carrera de montaña = mountain race
- maratón de ciudad = city marathon
That’s why maratón de montaña is natural here.
Un maratón de montaña refers to one mountain marathon, not a specific one that both speakers already know about. It’s introducing it as a general goal:
- She is training for a mountain marathon (one such event).
El maratón de montaña would suggest a specific marathon already identified in the conversation (for example, “the mountain marathon in July we talked about”).
The accent mark in maratón shows where the stress goes: on the last syllable: ma-ra-tón.
Without the accent, according to general stress rules, it would be pronounced MA-ra-ton (stress on ma), which is incorrect.
So the accent is needed to indicate the correct pronunciation: ma-ra-TÓN.
Spanish verb endings usually make the subject clear, so subject pronouns (yo, tú, él, ella, etc.) are often optional:
- Mi hermana prefiere… = My sister prefers…
- Mi prima extrovertida entrena… = My extroverted cousin trains…
You could say Ella prefiere… or Ella entrena…, but it’s unnecessary when the subject is already named (mi hermana, mi prima extrovertida).