Comer demasiado pan no es bueno para la salud.

to be

Breakdown of Comer demasiado pan no es bueno para la salud.

• bueno: good
• el pan: the bread
• comer: to eat
• para: for
• la salud: the health
• demasiado: too much

Questions & Answers about Comer demasiado pan no es bueno para la salud.

Why is comer in the infinitive form here instead of being conjugated?

In Spanish, when you talk about an activity in a general or abstract sense—like "Eating too much bread is not good for your health"—you often use the infinitive form. It functions almost like the English gerund "eating" does in that kind of sentence. So comer acts as the subject of the verb es (is).

What does demasiado mean, and is it different from mucho?

Demasiado translates to "too much" in English. It indicates an excess beyond what is advisable or necessary. Mucho generally means "a lot" or "very," but it doesn’t always imply something excessive. In this sentence, "comer demasiado pan" is stronger than "comer mucho pan," suggesting you're really overdoing it by eating a lot more bread than is healthy.

Why do we use es bueno instead of está bueno in this sentence?

Using es bueno describes a permanent or general characteristic: "It is (generally) good for your health." If you say está bueno, it often refers to a temporary state (for example, describing how food tastes: "el pan está bueno" → "the bread tastes good"). Here, we’re describing a general fact about health, so es is appropriate.

Why do we say para la salud instead of por la salud?

In Spanish, para is used to express purpose or effect, while por typically indicates cause, means, or motivation. In the phrase "no es bueno para la salud," we’re saying it has a harmful effect on your health, so para is correct. Think of it as "for the sake of" your health.

Do I need to match the gender of bueno with la salud?

No. Bueno in "es bueno" isn’t directly describing "la salud"; it’s describing the entire idea of "comer demasiado pan." Because bueno is part of the predicate (something is good), it remains in its masculine form. If you were modifying a specific feminine noun, you’d say "buena," but here "bueno" stands as a general descriptor.