Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): A veces una frase corta explica mejor la idea que un texto largo. - Sometimes a short sentence explains the idea better than a long text.

A veces = sometimes (neutral, fairly common)
Algunas veces = some times (a bit more literal; used, but less frequent in everyday speech)
A menudo = often / frequently (happens more regularly than just “sometimes”)

In this sentence you could also say:

A veces una frase corta… ✅
Algunas veces una frase corta… ✅ (correct, but sounds a bit heavier / more formal)
A menudo una frase corta… ✅ (but now the meaning changes to “often” rather than “sometimes”)

Why is it spelled “A veces” and not “Aveces”?

It must be written as two words:

A (preposition) + veces (plural noun, “times”)
→ literally “at times” → natural translation: “sometimes”

“Aveces” (one word) is incorrect in standard Spanish.

What is the subject of the sentence? Is it “una frase corta” or “la idea”?

The subject is “una frase corta”.

Structure:

Subject: una frase corta (a short sentence/phrase)
Verb: explica (explains)
Direct object: la idea (the idea)

So: A short sentence explains the idea better than a long text.
“La idea” is what gets explained; it is not the subject.

Why is it “una frase corta” and not “un frase corta”?

Because “frase” is feminine in Spanish:

la frase = the sentence / phrase
una frase = a sentence / phrase

The adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun:

una frase corta (feminine singular) ✅
un texto largo (masculine singular) ✅

So:

frase → feminine → una, corta
texto → masculine → un, largo

Why is the adjective “corta” placed after “frase”? Could I say “una corta frase”?

In Spanish, the normal position of descriptive adjectives is after the noun:

una frase corta = a short sentence
un texto largo = a long text

You can say “una corta frase”, but it sounds more literary or stylistic, and it slightly shifts the emphasis. In everyday speech, “una frase corta” is the natural choice.

General rule for learners:
> Put descriptive adjectives after the noun unless you have a specific stylistic reason not to.

Is there a reason “A veces” doesn’t have a comma after it? Could I write “A veces, una frase corta…”?

Both are possible:

A veces una frase corta explica… ✅ (very common, fully correct)
A veces, una frase corta explica… ✅ (also correct; the comma adds a slight pause)

In modern usage, it’s very common not to put a comma after short adverbials like A veces, Normalmente, A menudo at the start of the sentence. So the version without the comma is perfectly standard.

What exactly does “mejor” mean here? Is it an adjective or an adverb?

In this sentence, “mejor” functions as an adverb, meaning “better”:

explica mejor = explains better

Spanish often uses “mejor” for both:

Adjective:
- Esta solución es mejor. = This solution is better.
Adverb:
- Ella canta mejor que yo. = She sings better than I do.

So here, “mejor” modifies the verb “explica” → explains better.

Why is it “la idea” and not just “idea” without an article?

Spanish usually needs a definite article (el / la / los / las) where English can omit “the” or use a generic noun.

Here, “la idea” can be understood as:

the idea that is being discussed,
or the idea in general in this context.

Saying just “idea” without any article is not natural Spanish here. You need:

la idea (the idea)
or una idea (an idea), depending on meaning

In this sentence, “la idea” suggests a specific idea being explained (the one in the text).

What is the role of “que” in “que un texto largo”?

Here, “que” is the comparative “than” in English:

mejor que un texto largo = better than a long text

For comparisons with adjectives or adverbs, Spanish uses:

más / menos / mejor / peor … + que …

Examples:

más alto que tú = taller than you
peor que antes = worse than before
explica mejor que un texto largo = explains better than a long text

What’s the difference between “frase” and “texto”?

Roughly:

frase = sentence or short phrase
- A single sentence or a very small unit of language.
texto = text
- A longer piece of writing: a paragraph, article, chapter, etc.

So the sentence contrasts:

una frase corta (a short sentence)
un texto largo (a long text / passage)

The idea is: sometimes a short sentence is clearer than a long piece of writing.

Why is the verb form “explica” (3rd person singular present)? Could it be “explican”?

“Explica” is 3rd person singular present of explicar:

(ella / él / eso) explica

The subject is “una frase corta” (singular), so the verb must be singular:

Una frase corta explica… ✅

If you changed the subject to plural, you’d change the verb:

A veces las frases cortas explican mejor la idea que un texto largo. ✅
Sometimes short sentences explain the idea better than a long text.

Here, las frases cortas → plural, so explican → plural.

Could I say “explica la idea mejor” instead of “explica mejor la idea”? Does the position of “mejor” matter?

Both are grammatically correct:

explica mejor la idea
explica la idea mejor

In Spanish, adverbs like mejor are fairly flexible in position. The version in the original sentence, “explica mejor la idea”, is very natural and slightly emphasizes how it explains (better), before specifying what it explains (the idea). But the difference in meaning is minimal; both sound fine.

Why is it “un texto largo” and not “un largo texto”?

As with “frase corta”, the default position of descriptive adjectives is after the noun:

un texto largo = a long text (neutral, usual)
un largo texto = also correct, but it sounds more literary or stylistic, and can suggest a certain nuance (e.g. emphasizing that it feels long, maybe even too long).

For everyday Spanish, stick with:

un texto largo
una frase corta

Could I make everything plural, like “las frases cortas explican mejor las ideas que los textos largos”? Would the meaning change?

Yes, that sentence is correct:

A veces las frases cortas explican mejor las ideas que los textos largos. ✅

Meaning: Sometimes short sentences explain ideas better than long texts.

The main meaning is essentially the same; you’re just speaking in a more general, plural way. Spanish often uses either singular generic (una frase corta… la idea…) or plural generic (las frases cortas… las ideas…) to express general truths. Both are natural.