Mi tío vende su pan en el mercado.

the bread

Breakdown of Mi tío vende su pan en el mercado.

• en: at
• mi: my
• el mercado: the market
• vender: to sell
• el tío: the uncle
• su: his

Questions & Answers about Mi tío vende su pan en el mercado.

Why do we say “Mi tío” instead of something like “El tío de mí”?

In Spanish, possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su, etc.) are commonly used before nouns to show ownership. Mi tío simply means “my uncle”, and it is the standard, most natural way to express this relationship. While it’s possible to use a structure like “El tío mío”, it sounds more formal or emphasizes the uncle among others.

Why is “vende” used in the sentence, and not “vendes” or “venden”?

Vende is the third-person singular of the verb vender (to sell), corresponding to “he/she sells” or “you (formal) sell.” Since we’re talking about mi tío (my uncle), the grammar requires the él/ella/usted form, which is vende.

“Su” can mean “his,” “her,” “your,” or “their.” How do I know it means “his” here?

In Spanish, su is ambiguous, but context clarifies the meaning. Because we’re referring to mi tío (my uncle) and his bread, su naturally aligns with “his”. If the context were different, su could mean a different owner, but here it’s understood.

If I only want to say “My uncle sells bread at the market,” without emphasizing that it’s his own bread, can I omit “su”?

Yes, you can say “Mi tío vende pan en el mercado.” It means “My uncle sells bread at the market” in general. By adding su, you stress or clarify that it’s specifically his bread.

Why do we say “en el mercado” instead of “en un mercado”?

En el mercado refers to “the market”, suggesting a specific market that either the speaker or listener assumes is known. If you use en un mercado, it simply means “in a market” in a less specific sense. Both are correct, but en el mercado typically sounds more natural if there’s a usual or familiar market in mind.