Breakdown of Es importante lavar las manos antes de comer.
ser
to be
comer
to eat
importante
important
antes de
before
la mano
the hand
lavar
to wash
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Questions & Answers about Es importante lavar las manos antes de comer.
Why do we use es importante instead of está importante?
In Spanish, es importante is an impersonal expression using the verb ser to state that something is generally or inherently important. Estar is used for temporary states or locations, not for general truths or qualities. That’s why you say es importante here.
Why is lavar in the infinitive form?
After phrases like es importante, Spanish uses an infinitive to express what action is necessary. It’s similar to English “It’s important to wash.” The structure is Es + adjective + infinitive.
Could I use lavarse instead of lavar?
Yes. You can say es importante lavarse las manos. Adding the reflexive pronoun se (lavarse) highlights that each person washes their own hands. Without se, the meaning is still clear in an impersonal statement, but lavarse is slightly more common in everyday speech.
Why do we say las manos with the definite article?
Spanish often uses the definite article with body parts. Where English omits “the” (“wash your hands”), Spanish says lavar las manos. It’s just a standard usage.
Why is it antes de comer and not antes de la comida?
- Antes de comer uses the infinitive comer (“to eat”) and means “before eating.”
- Antes de la comida literally means “before the meal.” You can use that if you want to emphasize the occasion (the meal) rather than the action of eating.
Why is there no subject in the sentence?
This is an impersonal statement. We’re making a general recommendation, not addressing anyone directly (“you”) or specifying someone (“we”). Spanish often drops the subject in impersonal or general statements.
Can I rephrase this with hay que?
Absolutely. Hay que lavar las manos antes de comer also means “One must wash one’s hands before eating.” It’s another common impersonal construction where hay que expresses necessity.
What’s the literal word‐for‐word translation?
- Es importante = “It is important”
- lavar = “to wash”
- las manos = “the hands”
- antes de = “before”
- comer = “eating” or “to eat”
So literally: “It is important to wash the hands before eating.”