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El enchufe está detrás del sofá.

El enchufe está detrás del sofá.
The outlet is behind the sofa.
FromLesson 18inHardcore Spanish (Spain)

Breakdown of El enchufe está detrás del sofá.

estar
to be
el sofá
the sofa
detrás de
behind
el enchufe
the outlet

Questions & Answers about El enchufe está detrás del sofá.

Why is it está and not es?
Spanish uses estar for the location of physical objects. Since the sentence states where something is, está is correct. Use ser only for events (e.g., La reunión es en la sala) or inherent traits.
Why do we say detrás del and not detrás de el?
Because Spanish contracts de + el → del. Other articles don’t contract: de la, de los, de las. Also, the contraction never happens with the pronoun él (see below).
Does detrás always need de?
When followed by a complement, yes: detrás de + noun/pronoun (e.g., detrás del sofá, detrás de mí). On its own, you can say simply Está detrás if the reference is understood.
What’s the difference between detrás and atrás?
  • detrás de introduces what something is behind: detrás del sofá.
  • atrás is an adverb meaning “at the back/behind/backwards” and typically doesn’t take a complement in Spain: Mira atrás.
    In much of Latin America people do say atrás de, but in Spain detrás de is the standard.
Is Atrás del sofá acceptable in Spain?
It will be understood, but it sounds Latin American. In Spain, prefer detrás del sofá.
Can I use tras instead of detrás de?
Yes, tras el sofá is correct but sounds a bit more formal or literary. Note that tras can also mean “after” in time, while detrás de is purely spatial.
What exactly does enchufe refer to—plug or socket?

In Spain, everyday speech often uses el enchufe for the wall outlet/socket. Technically:

  • Wall outlet/socket: la toma de corriente or la base de enchufe
  • Plug (on a cable): la clavija or el enchufe (macho)
    Context decides; in this sentence it clearly means the fixed outlet. Also, note the colloquial meaning of enchufe = “pull/connections” in jobs.
Why is it el enchufe? Is enchufe masculine?
Yes, enchufe is masculine: el enchufe, un enchufe, los enchufes.
Why is sofá masculine even though it ends in -a?
Some nouns ending in -a are masculine, especially loanwords. sofá is masculine: el sofá, un sofá, los sofás.
Why does sofá have an accent?
By default, words ending in a vowel are stressed on the next-to-last syllable. The accent marks the irregular final stress: so-fá. Hence sofá.
Why does está have an accent?
For the same stress rule: it ends in a vowel but is stressed on the last syllable. The accent also distinguishes it from esta (this, fem.), which has no accent.
Could I drop the articles and say Enchufe está detrás de sofá?
No. Spanish normally requires determiners with countable nouns. You’d say El enchufe… and del sofá.
How would I say “There is an outlet behind the sofa”?
Use hay to introduce something new: Hay un enchufe detrás del sofá (or more formally, Hay una toma de corriente detrás del sofá).
Can I invert the word order: Detrás del sofá está el enchufe?
Yes. That inversion is natural for emphasis or style and means the same thing.
How do I say it with a pronoun instead of a noun, e.g., “behind him”?
Use detrás de + pronoun: detrás de él/ella/ellos, detrás de mí/ti. Remember: no contraction with pronouns, so it’s de él, not del él.
Can I use queda instead of está for location?
Yes, especially in Peninsular Spanish: El enchufe queda detrás del sofá. Quedar can sound like “is located/ends up” and is common when giving directions. Estar is the neutral default.
How do I make it plural?
  • Multiple outlets: Los enchufes están detrás del sofá.
  • Multiple sofas: El enchufe está detrás de los sofás.
  • Both plural: Los enchufes están detrás de los sofás. Note there’s no contraction with de los.
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