Hay una fuga debajo del fregadero y el piso está mojado otra vez.

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Questions & Answers about Hay una fuga debajo del fregadero y el piso está mojado otra vez.

Why does the sentence start with Hay instead of Está?

Hay means there is/there are and is used to introduce the existence of something: Hay una fuga = There’s a leak.
Está is for location/state of something already known: La fuga está debajo del fregadero = The leak is under the sink.

What tense is hay, and what verb does it come from?

Hay comes from the verb haber. It’s the present indicative form used impersonally to mean there is/are. It doesn’t change for singular/plural:

  • Hay una fuga (There is a leak)
  • Hay fugas (There are leaks)
Why is it una fuga and not la fuga?

Una introduces something as new/unspecified: there’s a leak (one leak, not previously identified).
If both speakers already know which leak, you could say La fuga (the leak).

What does fuga mean here, and are there other common words for “leak”?

Fuga is a common word for a leak/escape of water/gas. In plumbing contexts you’ll also hear:

  • una filtración (a seepage/leak, often slower)
  • una gotera (a drip / a leak that drips, often from ceilings or pipes)
Why is it debajo del fregadero and not debajo de el fregadero?

De + el contracts to del in Spanish (almost always):

  • debajo de el fregaderodebajo del fregadero
    Same idea as a + el = al.
Is fregadero the normal Latin American word for “sink”?

Often yes, especially for a kitchen sink. But Latin American usage varies a lot. Common alternatives include:

  • lavaplatos (very common for kitchen sink in many countries)
  • lavamanos (bathroom sink)
    So fregadero is correct, but lavaplatos might sound more natural in some regions.
Why does Spanish use el piso here—does it mean “floor” or “apartment”?

In Latin America, el piso commonly means the floor (surface you walk on).
In Spain, piso very often means apartment, but in this sentence el piso está mojado clearly means the floor is wet.

Why is it el piso está mojado with está, not es?

Use estar for states/conditions, especially temporary ones: está mojado = is wet.
Ser mojado would not normally mean “wet” as a condition; it would sound like describing a trait (and isn’t common).

What’s the difference between mojado and húmedo?
  • mojado = wet (water is on it / it’s soaked or has liquid on it)
  • húmedo = damp/moist (less wet; slightly wet)
    A floor with standing water is mojado.
Why is there an accent in está?

The accent mark distinguishes está (verb form of estar, he/she/it is) from esta (this, feminine):

  • El piso está mojado = The floor is wet
  • Esta casa = This house
Does otra vez mean “again” or “another time,” and where does it go in the sentence?

Otra vez means again / once again. It often goes at the end for emphasis, as here: está mojado otra vez.
You can also place it earlier: Otra vez el piso está mojado, but that sounds more emphatic/complaining.

Can I swap the order and say El piso está mojado otra vez y hay una fuga...?

Yes. Both are grammatical; it’s a matter of focus:

  • Hay una fuga... y el piso está mojado... (cause → result)
  • El piso está mojado... y hay una fuga... (result → cause / what you noticed first)
Could I say Hay una fuga abajo del fregadero instead of debajo del fregadero?

Yes. Abajo de is common and means down below/under.
Debajo de is a bit more precise for directly underneath. In everyday speech, both work here.