El cachorro duerme.

In Spanish, it is very common to use the definite article with nouns when talking about a specific thing: el cachorro = the puppy.

You can also say just cachorro in some contexts, but El cachorro duerme is the normal full sentence for The puppy is sleeping / sleeps.

• el = the for a singular masculine noun
• cachorro = puppy

Not necessarily. Cachorro is a masculine noun form, so it takes el.

• el cachorro = the male puppy / the puppy (masculine form)
• la cachorra = the female puppy

Sometimes Spanish uses the masculine form as a general or unspecified form, especially if the sex is unknown or unimportant.

Not exactly.

• perro = dog
• cachorro = puppy, cub, or young animal

So cachorro emphasizes that the animal is young. In this sentence, it means puppy.

Because the verb is dormir (to sleep), and in the present tense it is a stem-changing verb.

The o in the stem changes to ue in most present-tense forms:

• yo duermo
• tú duermes
• él/ella/usted duerme
• nosotros dormimos
• vosotros dormís
• ellos/ellas/ustedes duermen

So duerme is the correct form for he/she/it sleeps.

In Spanish, the simple present tense often covers both ideas:

• El cachorro duerme = The puppy sleeps
• El cachorro duerme = The puppy is sleeping

The exact meaning depends on context.

If you want to be extra explicit about is sleeping right now, Spanish can also use:

• El cachorro está durmiendo

But the simple present is very natural and common.

Spanish often leaves out subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the subject.

In duerme, the ending tells you it is:

• he
• she
• it
• you (formal singular)

Since el cachorro is already there as the subject, there is no need to add a separate pronoun like it.

Because el cachorro is third-person singular, and duerme is the third-person singular form of dormir.

So they agree:

• singular subject: el cachorro
• singular verb: duerme

If the subject were plural, the verb would also change:

• Los cachorros duermen = The puppies sleep / are sleeping

Yes. That is also correct.

The difference is:

• El cachorro duerme = the puppy sleeps / is sleeping
• El cachorro está durmiendo = the puppy is sleeping

The second version focuses more clearly on an action happening right now.

Yes, you can say Duerme el cachorro, but El cachorro duerme is the most neutral and basic word order.

Spanish usually uses:

• subject + verb

So:

• El cachorro duerme

Changing the order can sound more literary, emphatic, or dependent on context:

• Duerme el cachorro

For a beginner, El cachorro duerme is the best default pattern.

In Spain, it is pronounced roughly like:

• ka-CHO-rro

A few useful points:

• ca sounds like ka
• ch sounds like the ch in church
• rr is a strong rolled r
• the stress is on cho: ca-CHO-rro

And duerme is roughly:

• DWER-me

It comes from dormir, which means to sleep.

Spanish infinitives end in:

• -ar
• -er
• -ir

Here, the infinitive is:

• dormir

And duerme is one of its present-tense forms.

Yes. The Spanish present tense can describe both:

1. A habitual action

   • El cachorro duerme mucho.
   • The puppy sleeps a lot.

2. Something happening right now

   • Mira, el cachorro duerme.
   • Look, the puppy is sleeping.

Context tells you which meaning is intended.

The plural version is:

• Los cachorros duermen.

Changes:

• el → los
• cachorro → cachorros
• duerme → duermen

So:

• El cachorro duerme. = The puppy sleeps / is sleeping.
• Los cachorros duermen. = The puppies sleep / are sleeping.