Mi sobrino ha aprendido a montar en bicicleta recientemente.

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Breakdown of Mi sobrino ha aprendido a montar en bicicleta recientemente.

• mi: my
• a: to
• en: on
• la bicicleta: the bicycle
• haber: to have
• el sobrino: the nephew
• montar: to ride
• recientemente: recently

Questions & Answers about Mi sobrino ha aprendido a montar en bicicleta recientemente.

Why is it ha aprendido instead of aprendió?

Ha aprendido (present perfect) suggests that the action (learning to ride a bike) is recent and still relevant to the present moment. In contrast, aprendió (simple past) would place the action entirely in the past without the same emphasis on its current relevance.

Why do we say a montar after ha aprendido?

In Spanish, whenever you talk about learning to do something, the verb aprender is typically followed by a plus an infinitive: aprender a + verbo. This structure is mandatory; you can’t drop the a in standard Spanish.

Why do we use en in montar en bicicleta?

In Spain, it’s common to say montar en bicicleta (literally “to ride on a bicycle”), while in some regions you might also hear andar en bicicleta. It conveys the idea of riding on/using a bicycle as your mode of transport. The preposition en is a standard way to indicate you’re “on something.”

Can I place recientemente anywhere else in the sentence?

Yes, in Spanish, adverbs like recientemente can often appear in different positions. You could say Recientemente, mi sobrino ha aprendido a montar en bicicleta or Mi sobrino recientemente ha aprendido a montar en bicicleta, and it would still be correct. The meaning remains the same, but placing it at the end often sounds more natural in everyday speech.

Do I need to say mi sobrino or could I use mío?

Saying mi sobrino is the standard construction when identifying “my nephew.” If you were only naming the nephew without “my,” you’d typically make it clear from context who the nephew belongs to. Mío (“mine”) is a possessive pronoun on its own and usually comes after the noun or replaces it entirely: Es sobrino mío (“He is a nephew of mine”). However, mi sobrino is more direct and common when introducing whose nephew it is.