Breakdown of Mi amigo mexicano estudia español en la universidad.
el amigo
the friend
en
at
mi
my
estudiar
to study
Questions & Answers about Mi amigo mexicano estudia español en la universidad.
Why is it mi amigo and not mis amigo?
Mi is the singular form of my, and mis is the plural form.
- Mi amigo = my friend (one friend)
- Mis amigos = my friends (more than one friend)
Because amigo is singular here, the possessive must also be singular: mi amigo. If you had several Mexican friends, you would say Mis amigos mexicanos.
Why is there no subject pronoun like él? Why not Él mi amigo mexicano estudia… or Él estudia…?
In Spanish, subject pronouns (like yo, tú, él, ella) are often omitted because the verb ending already shows the subject.
- estudia is the he/she/it or usted form of estudiar in the present tense.
- The subject is clear from context: mi amigo mexicano is doing the action.
So:
- Mi amigo mexicano estudia español… = Él estudia español…, but with the subject phrase spelled out.
- Saying Él mi amigo mexicano estudia… is incorrect; you don’t put él directly in front of the noun like that.
You could say Él estudia español en la universidad, but then you lose the extra info mi amigo mexicano.
Why is the adjective mexicano after amigo? Could I say mi mexicano amigo?