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La imagen en la pantalla parece un volcán activo.

La imagen en la pantalla parece un volcán activo.
The image on the screen looks like an active volcano.
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Questions & Answers about La imagen en la pantalla parece un volcán activo.

Why is it parece un volcán activo and not parece como un volcán activo like in English “looks like a volcano”?

In Spanish, after parecer you normally put a noun phrase directly, without como:

  • Parece un volcán activo. = It looks like an active volcano.
  • Parece una casa vieja. = It looks like an old house.
  • Parece una buena idea. = It seems / looks like a good idea.

Using como after parecer is usually either incorrect or sounds very odd in this structure:

  • ✗ Parece como un volcán activo. (not natural here)

You can use como in some other expressions with parecer, but not in this simple “looks like a + noun” pattern:

  • Parece como si fuera un volcán. = It seems as if it were a volcano. (more complex, with como si)

So:

  • parecer + noun = “to look like / to seem (a) …”
  • No como needed.
Why do we use la imagen but un volcán activo? Why definite article first and indefinite later?

Spanish articles work similarly to English here:

  • La imagen = the image (we assume a specific, known image)
  • un volcán activo = an active volcano (any volcano of that type, not a specific one)

So the sentence is literally:

  • La imagen en la pantalla = The image on the screen
  • parece un volcán activo = looks like an active volcano (not “the” volcano, just “a” volcano)

If you said:

  • La imagen en la pantalla parece el volcán activo.

That would be more like “The image on the screen looks like the active volcano” (a particular volcano both speaker and listener know about).

Why is imagen feminine (la imagen) and not masculine? How can I tell?

Imagen ends in -en, which does not clearly signal masculine or feminine. You just have to learn its gender: it is feminine.

  • la imagen (singular)
  • las imágenes (plural)

Some tips:

  • Many nouns ending in -ción, -sión, -dad, -tad, -tud, -umbre, and -ie are feminine (e.g. la canción, la ciudad, la especie).
  • But -en is not predictable for gender.
  • When you learn a new noun, always learn it with its article:
    • la imagen
    • el volcán
    • la pantalla

There is no logical reason imagen is feminine; it’s just how the language evolved.

What is the difference between imagen, foto, and picture / image / photo in English?

Roughly:

  • imagen = image, picture (general term: drawing, graphic, mental image, computer image, etc.)
  • foto / fotografía = photo, photograph (specifically something taken with a camera / phone)

Examples:

  • La imagen en la pantalla parece un volcán activo.
    The image on the screen looks like an active volcano. (could be computer graphics, drawing, etc.)

  • La foto que tomaste parece un volcán activo.
    The photo you took looks like an active volcano.

So imagen is broader and works very well for anything on a pantalla (screen), including digital graphics, game scenes, icons, etc.

Why is it en la pantalla and not sobre la pantalla or just en pantalla?

All three can appear in Spanish, but they’re not identical:

  1. en la pantalla

    • Neutral, very common.
    • Literally “on the screen”.
    • Works for physical or virtual screens (TV, phone, computer).

  2. sobre la pantalla

    • Literally “on top of the screen”.
    • More physical or literal: something is resting on the surface of the screen.
    • In everyday speech for “on the screen” (visually), en la pantalla sounds more natural.

  3. en pantalla (without article)

    • More like “on (the) screen” as a general expression, often used in broadcasting / media.
    • Example: Lo vimos en pantalla. = We saw it on screen.
    • Less literal than en la pantalla, a bit more idiomatic or media-like.

In this specific sentence, en la pantalla is the standard and most neutral way to say “on the screen.”

What is the difference between parecer and ser here? Could I say La imagen en la pantalla es un volcán activo?
  • parecer = to look like, to appear, to seem
  • ser = to be (identity, nature)

La imagen en la pantalla parece un volcán activo.

  • The image looks like an active volcano; it’s not literally a volcano.
  • You’re talking about appearance, not identity.

La imagen en la pantalla es un volcán activo.

  • Grammatically possible, but now you’re saying:
    • “The image on the screen is an active volcano.”
    • That is, the content represents an active volcano (e.g., a labeled diagram in a textbook).

So:

  • Use parecer when you talk about what something looks like / seems like.
  • Use ser when you want to say what it actually is (its identity or classification).
How is parece formed, and what would the full conjugation of parecer look like?

Parece comes from the verb parecer (to seem, to appear):

  • Infinitive: parecer
  • Present tense:
    • yo parezco
    • tú pareces
    • él / ella / usted parece
    • nosotros/as parecemos
    • vosotros/as parecéis (mostly Spain)
    • ellos / ellas / ustedes parecen

So parece here is third person singular: “it seems / it looks like”.

Note the irregular first person:

  • yo parezco (with -zco)
  • all other forms use parec- normally: pareces, parece, parecen etc.

There is also parecerse a (reflexive), which means “to resemble”:

  • Ese monte se parece a un volcán. = That hill resembles a volcano.
Why is the adjective activo placed after volcán (un volcán activo) and not before it (un activo volcán)?

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

  • un volcán activo = an active volcano
  • una casa grande = a big house
  • un coche nuevo = a new car

Putting the adjective before the noun can:

  • sound poetic, literary, or emphatic
  • sometimes slightly change the nuance (more subjective, emotional, or stylistic)

Un activo volcán is grammatically possible, but:

  • sounds very literary or poetic
  • in normal speech, people would almost always say un volcán activo

So for learners, a safe rule is:
→ Put descriptive adjectives after the noun: un volcán activo.

Can I say La imagen en la pantalla se ve como un volcán activo instead? What is the difference between parecer and verse?

Yes, you can say:

  • La imagen en la pantalla se ve como un volcán activo.

This is natural, especially in Latin America. Differences in feel:

  • parecer = “to seem / to look like” (slightly more neutral/formal)

    • La imagen parece un volcán activo.

  • verse

    • como = “to look (like)” from the point of view of appearance

    • La imagen se ve como un volcán activo.
    • Literally: “The image is seen like an active volcano.”

Both are correct. In everyday Latin American Spanish:

  • se ve (como) is super common in casual speech.
  • parece may sound a bit more neutral or standard.

You cannot say ✗ parece como un volcán (odd), but se ve como un volcán is fine.

How do I pronounce imagen, pantalla, volcán, and activo?

Syllables and stress:

  • imagen → i–MA–jen

    • Stress on the second syllable: MA
    • g before e sounds like English h in house: ima-hen

  • pantalla → pan–TA–ya

    • Stress on TA
    • ll = usually a y sound in Latin America: “pan-TA-ya”

  • volcán → vol–CÁN

    • Accent mark tells you to stress the last syllable: CÁN
    • Final n is clearly pronounced: vol-CÁN

  • activo → ac–TI–vo

    • Stress on TI
    • c before t here is a hard k sound: ak-TI-vo
    • v is pronounced very close to b: more like “ak-TEE-bo”

Putting it all together at natural speed:
La imagen en la pantalla parece un volcán activo.
[la i-MA-jen en la pan-TA-ya pa-RE-ce un vol-CÁN ak-TI-vo]

How would I say “The images on the screen look like active volcanoes” (plural)?

You need to change imagen, volcán, and activo to plural and keep parecer agreeing with imágenes:

  • Las imágenes en la pantalla parecen volcanes activos.

Breakdown:

  • la imagen → las imágenes
  • parece → parecen (because imágenes is plural)
  • un volcán activo → volcanes activos (no article here; you could add unos if you want “some”)

So the full plural sentence:

  • Las imágenes en la pantalla parecen volcanes activos.
    = The images on the screen look like active volcanoes.
Does pantalla always mean “screen”? Are there any other common uses in Latin American Spanish?

In modern Latin American Spanish, pantalla most commonly means screen (TV, phone, computer, cinema, projector, etc.):

  • la pantalla del celular = the phone screen
  • la pantalla de la computadora = the computer screen
  • en la pantalla grande = on the big screen (cinema)

Some related uses:

  • hacer pantalla (informal, varies by country): to show off, to give a certain image.
  • pantalla gigante = big screen (e.g., in a stadium or plaza)

The old meaning of pantalla as a lampshade or similar exists but is much less common in everyday speech than the “screen” meaning, especially in a sentence like yours.