El conocimiento es importante para aprender algo nuevo.

Knowledge is important to learn something new.

Breakdown of El conocimiento es importante para aprender algo nuevo.

• ser: to be
• importante: important
• aprender: to learn
• para: to
• nuevo: new
• algo: something
• el conocimiento: the knowledge

Questions & Answers about El conocimiento es importante para aprender algo nuevo.

Why is El used before conocimiento?

In Spanish, nouns have genders. Conocimiento is masculine, so it takes the masculine article el. Even if the meaning doesn’t imply anything inherently masculine, it’s still classified as a masculine noun in Spanish grammar.

Is there a difference between using para and por in a sentence like this?

Yes. Para often indicates purpose or intention—here it shows the goal (to learn something new). Por usually suggests a cause, reason, or means. In this example, para is correct because it’s focusing on the purpose of having knowledge (learning something new).

What is the infinitive form in this sentence, and why is an infinitive used?

The infinitive form is aprender (to learn). In Spanish, when a verb follows a preposition like para, you generally use the infinitive. It corresponds to using the -ing form in English in sentences like "Knowledge is important for learning something new."

Can importante change form if we’re talking about something feminine or plural?

In Spanish, importante does not change form for gender or number because it’s an adjective that ends in -e, making it invariant. However, other adjectives that end in -o or -a do change forms for gender and number.

Why do we use algo nuevo instead of just algo?

Algo nuevo means something new specifically. Algo simply means something. By adding nuevo, we specify that it’s a new skill, concept, or piece of knowledge we want to learn, giving more detail to the idea we’re expressing.