Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Levanto la mano en la clase.

In Spanish, the subject is often dropped because the verb conjugation already makes it clear who is performing the action. The form levanto indicates a first person singular subject, so including yo is unnecessary.

Why is the definite article la used before mano instead of a possessive such as mi?

Spanish commonly uses the definite article for body parts when the possessor is clear from context. In this case, la mano implicitly means "my hand," so there’s no need for mi mano unless you want to emphasize ownership.

What function does the prepositional phrase en la clase serve, and why is it placed at the end of the sentence?

The phrase en la clase indicates the location where the action occurs ("in class"). Spanish sentences typically follow a Subject-Verb-Object order, with additional phrases like this placed at the end to provide context.

How is the verb levantar conjugated in this sentence, and would its form change with a different subject?

In "Levanto la mano en la clase," levanto is the first person singular present tense form of levantar. If you change the subject, the verb would be conjugated accordingly; for example, "levantas" for tú (you) or "levanta" for él/ella (he/she).

Why isn’t a reflexive form used in this sentence (i.e., why not "me levanto la mano")?

The verb levantar here means "to raise" something—in this case, the hand. A reflexive form like me levanto would change the meaning to "I get up" or suggest that the subject is acting upon itself. Since the action involves raising a body part rather than performing a self-directed action, the non-reflexive form is correct.

How would the sentence change if you wanted to express "I raise my hands in class" instead?

To indicate that you are raising both hands, you would change the direct object to its plural form. The sentence would become "Levanto las manos en la clase," with both the article and noun pluralized to reflect raising more than one hand.