Comparamos la legítima con el legado.

Comparamos is the first-person plural form of comparar, so it means we compare in the present indicative.

In this sentence, the subject we is not written because Spanish usually leaves subject pronouns out when the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

So: Comparamos la legítima con el legado = We compare the legítima with the legacy/bequest.

Yes. With -ar verbs, the nosotros form of the present and the preterite can look identical.

So comparamos can mean either:

• we compare
• we compared

Without context, both are possible. Usually the surrounding sentence or situation makes the time clear. On its own, many learners first read it as present, but grammatically it is ambiguous.

Spanish normally uses comparar X con Y to mean to compare X with Y.

So:

• Comparamos la legítima con el legado = We compare the legítima with the legado

This is the most neutral and common pattern.

You may also sometimes see comparar X a Y, but that is less common in everyday neutral usage and often feels more like likening one thing to another rather than making a straightforward comparison. For a standard factual comparison, con is the safest choice.

Spanish uses definite articles much more often than English.

Here, la legítima and el legado refer to established legal concepts, so the articles sound natural and normal. Spanish often keeps the article with abstract, legal, academic, or general-category nouns where English might sometimes leave it out.

So even if English might sometimes say something like We compare legítima and legado, Spanish strongly prefers:

• la legítima
• el legado

Great question. Legítima does come from the adjective legítimo / legítima meaning legitimate, but here it is being used as a noun.

In Spanish, adjectives can sometimes become nouns when the context is clear. In legal Spanish, especially in Spain, la legítima is a fixed term referring to the part of an inheritance that is legally reserved for certain heirs.

So here la legítima does not just mean the legitimate one/thing in a general sense. It is a specific legal noun.

Not exactly.

In legal Spanish:

• herencia usually means inheritance as a whole
• legado usually means legacy or bequest, often a specific asset or benefit left to someone in a will

So legado is more specific than herencia.

That distinction is important in legal contexts, especially in Spain, where terms like la legítima, la herencia, and el legado each have technical meanings.

The accent mark in legítima shows where the stress goes: le-GÍ-ti-ma.

Without the accent, Spanish stress rules would suggest a different pronunciation. The written accent helps preserve the correct stress pattern.

It does not change the grammar by itself; it is there for pronunciation and correct spelling.

Yes, that is grammatically correct.

However, Spanish usually leaves out nosotros unless you want to:

• add emphasis
• create contrast
• avoid ambiguity

So:

• Comparamos la legítima con el legado = the most natural neutral version
• Nosotros comparamos la legítima con el legado = more emphatic, like We compare..., not someone else

Yes, that is also grammatical.

Since comparison is logically two-way, both versions are possible. However, the first noun often feels like the main item under discussion, and the second noun is the point of comparison.

So there can be a slight difference in focus:

• Comparamos la legítima con el legado = the legítima is the main thing being examined
• Comparamos el legado con la legítima = the legado is now the main focus

The core meaning stays very similar, but the emphasis shifts a little.

In standard peninsular Spanish, it is pronounced roughly leh-HEE-tee-ma.

A few helpful points:

• the stress is on gí
• the g before i is pronounced like a strong throaty sound, similar to the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach
• the final a is a clear short vowel

So the main thing to remember is: le-GÍ-ti-ma

It sounds natural, especially in an academic, legal, or explanatory context.

Because la legítima and el legado are legal terms, the sentence has a formal or technical tone. In a law class, legal article, or inheritance discussion, it sounds perfectly normal.

In casual everyday conversation, people might use a longer sentence or add more context, but the grammar and wording here are fully natural.