Miramos la popa desde la cubierta exterior.

Miramos is the present tense of mirar, meaning we look or we are looking.

• miramos = we look / we are looking
• mirábamos = we were looking / we used to look
• vemos = we see

A learner often asks about mirar vs ver:

• mirar = to look at something, with intention
• ver = to see something, more general

So Miramos la popa means We look at the stern, not just We see the stern.

Also, miramos can mean either:

• we look
• we looked

The form is the same in the present and the preterite for -ar verbs with nosotros. Normally, context tells you which one is meant.

In Spanish, mirar usually takes a direct object with no preposition.

So:

• Miramos la popa = We look at the stern

Not:

• Miramos a la popa for this meaning

This is different from English, where look normally needs at.

More examples:

• Miro el mar = I look at the sea
• Miramos el barco = We look at the ship

So the missing at is completely normal in Spanish.

Because popa is a noun, and in Spanish nouns usually need an article when you are talking about a specific thing.

• la popa = the stern

Spanish uses articles more often than English does. In this sentence, it is a particular stern: the stern of the ship being discussed.

Also, popa is a feminine noun, so it takes la, not el.

La popa means the stern or the rear/back part of a ship.

Useful related ship words:

• la proa = the bow / front of the ship
• la popa = the stern / back of the ship
• la cubierta = the deck

So Miramos la popa means you are looking toward the back part of the ship.

Desde means from, especially when talking about:

• a starting point in space
• a starting point in time

Here it means from a physical location:

• desde la cubierta exterior = from the outer deck

Why not the others?

• de can sometimes mean from, but it is usually too general here and would sound less natural.
• a partir de usually means starting from in a more formal or abstract sense, often with time, rules, data, etc.

So for physical viewpoint/location, desde is the natural choice.

In Spanish, most adjectives usually come after the noun.

So:

• la cubierta exterior = the outer/exterior deck

This is the normal order:

• noun + adjective

Putting exterior before the noun would sound unusual here and is generally not how you describe this kind of deck.

More examples:

• la puerta principal = the main door
• el pasillo interior = the inner corridor
• la cubierta exterior = the outer deck

Here exterior means outer or outside.

So:

• la cubierta exterior = the outer deck / the outside deck

In English, exterior deck is possible, but outer deck or outside deck is usually more natural depending on context.

Spanish often uses exterior where English might prefer:

• outside
• outer
• external

It describes where we are looking from.

So the structure is:

• Miramos la popa = we look at the stern
• desde la cubierta exterior = from the outer deck

That means the outer deck is the viewpoint/location of the people looking, not a description of the stern.

Yes, you could, but the meaning changes slightly.

• Miramos la popa = we look at the stern
• Vemos la popa = we see the stern

So:

• mirar focuses on the action of directing your eyes
• ver focuses on perception/result

If the idea is that you intentionally direct your attention to it, miramos is better.

You know from context, because the nosotros form of many -ar verbs is identical in the present and preterite:

• miramos = we look / we are looking
• miramos = we looked

Written Spanish often relies on surrounding information to make this clear.

For example:

• Ahora miramos la popa = Now we are looking at the stern
• Ayer miramos la popa = Yesterday we looked at the stern

Without context, the form by itself can be ambiguous.

No. Spanish usually drops subject pronouns when they are not needed.

So:

• Miramos la popa desde la cubierta exterior. = perfectly natural

You could say:

• Nosotros miramos la popa desde la cubierta exterior.

But that usually adds emphasis, contrast, or clarity, for example:

• Nosotros miramos la popa, pero ellos miran la proa.

In normal speech, the subject is often omitted because the verb ending already tells you it is we.

Here, la cubierta means the deck of a ship.

But cubierta can have other meanings in different contexts because it comes from the idea of something covered or a covering. Depending on context, it can also mean things like:

• a cover
• a roofing layer
• a book cover

In this sentence, though, because of popa and the nautical context, la cubierta clearly means deck.