El ascensor de mi edificio es más rápido que las escaleras.

to be

Breakdown of El ascensor de mi edificio es más rápido que las escaleras.

• mi: my
• de: of
• más: more

Questions & Answers about El ascensor de mi edificio es más rápido que las escaleras.

Why does the sentence use el before ascensor and las before escaleras?

In Spanish, common nouns generally require a definite article even when you’re talking about them in a broad or abstract sense. So you say el ascensor (the elevator) and las escaleras (the stairs), just like you would say el agua (water) or los coches (cars).

Why do we say de mi edificio to show possession, instead of mi edificio ascensor or just mi ascensor?

Spanish normally expresses possession with de + owner after the noun: el ascensor de mi edificio (the elevator of my building).

• Mi ascensor is grammatically correct but implies you personally own the elevator, which isn’t the intended meaning.
• Putting the possessor before the noun (mi edificio ascensor) is not natural in Spanish.

Why is it es (from ser) and not está (from estar) in es más rápido?

Use ser for inherent, defining or long-term characteristics (like “speed” as a property of the elevator), and estar for temporary states or locations. Since the comparison is about the elevator’s inherent speed, you choose ser.