Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): El paso más importante es descansar.

Here paso means a figurative “step” in a process or sequence (like an instruction step). It’s not a physical footstep. Think “stage/step in a plan.”

Why is it El paso and not La paso?

Because paso is a masculine noun, so it takes the masculine article el. A similar feminine option would be a different noun, like la etapa (stage) or la fase (phase).

Could I say Lo más importante es descansar instead?

Yes.

El paso más importante es descansar highlights one step among several.
Lo más importante es descansar says “the most important thing is to rest” in a general sense, not tied to a list of steps.
Both are natural; choose based on whether you’re talking about steps or a general priority.

Why does más have an accent?

Más with an accent means “more/most.” Without the accent (mas) is a formal/literary word meaning “but,” which you almost never use in everyday speech. So keep the accent in más importante.

Why is it es descansar and not es descansando?

Spanish uses the infinitive (descansar) as a noun-like form (“to rest/resting”). The gerund (descansando) describes an ongoing action and isn’t used as a subject or after ser in this way. So you say: es descansar, not es descansando.

Can I use the noun el descanso instead of descansar?

You can: El paso más importante es el descanso.
Nuance:

es descansar focuses on the action/activity.
es el descanso treats “rest” as a thing or period, a bit more abstract or specific (e.g., “the rest period”). Both are acceptable; the infinitive is very common.

Why ser (es) and not estar?

This is an identification/classification: “The most important step = to rest.” Use ser to define or equate things. Estar would be for states/locations (not applicable here).

Can I flip the order to Descansar es el paso más importante?

Yes, that’s perfectly natural. The meaning stays the same. Fronting Descansar can put a bit of emphasis on the action.

Does importante change with gender or number?

By gender, no: importante is the same for masculine and feminine. By number, yes:

Singular: importante (el paso más importante)
Plural: importantes (los pasos más importantes)

Can I drop the article and say Paso más importante…?

Not in a normal sentence. Spanish typically needs the definite article here: El paso más importante… Dropping it sounds like a headline or note, not standard prose.

Would es para descansar mean the same thing?

Not exactly.

es descansar = the step itself is “to rest.”
es para descansar = it is for the purpose of resting (talks about purpose rather than equating the step with the action). Use es descansar to match the original meaning.

Should it be descansarse?

No. In Spain, the normal verb is descansar (intransitive). Descansarse is rare and can sound dialectal or carry a slight nuance of “to take a rest for oneself,” but standard usage is simply descansar.

Are there synonyms for paso here?

Yes, depending on nuance:

etapa (stage)
fase (phase)
medida (measure) in the sense of an action taken
Examples: La etapa más importante es descansar. / La medida más importante es descansar.

How do I pronounce the sentence naturally (Spain)?

Approximate syllable stress: el PA-so más im-por-TAN-te es des-can-SAR.
Notes:

c in descansar before a sounds like a hard “k.”
Final r in descansar is a single tap [ɾ], not a long trill.
s is a clear [s] sound.

What kind of superlative is el más importante?

It’s a relative superlative: the most important within a group. For an absolute superlative (“very/extremely important”), Spanish often uses importantísimo (e.g., un paso importantísimo).

Could I use principal instead of más importante?

Yes: El paso principal es descansar. Principal is a natural synonym for “main/primary” and sounds concise and idiomatic.