Breakdown of Terminar el trabajo es importante.
ser
to be
importante
important
el trabajo
the work
terminar
to finish
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Questions & Answers about Terminar el trabajo es importante.
Why do we use the infinitive (terminar) at the beginning of the sentence?
In Spanish, the infinitive can function like a noun when used as the subject of a sentence. So, Terminar el trabajo (finishing the work) acts similarly to “Finishing the work” in English.
Could we also say Es importante terminar el trabajo instead?
Yes, Es importante terminar el trabajo is equally correct. Spanish allows you to place the infinitive subject either before or after the verb, so you can say Terminar el trabajo es importante or Es importante terminar el trabajo without changing the meaning.
Why do we use es instead of está in this sentence?
We use es (from ser) because we are describing a generally true quality or characteristic: finishing the work is inherently important. Está (from estar) is typically used for temporary states or locations.
What’s the role of el before trabajo?
The article el is needed in Spanish when referring to a specific work or task in a general statement. It’s similar to using “the” in English. If you leave out el, the sentence still might be understood, but it wouldn’t sound entirely natural to a native speaker.
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