Breakdown of La profesora les explica la idea a los estudiantes en clase.
Questions & Answers about La profesora les explica la idea a los estudiantes en clase.
In this sentence, les is an indirect object pronoun meaning to them. It refers to a los estudiantes (the students).
- les = to them (indirect object)
- los = them (direct object)
Here, the idea is what is being explained (direct object: la idea), and the students are the receivers of the explanation (indirect object: a los estudiantes).
So you must use les, not los, because it answers to whom? the idea is explained, not what? is explained.
Yes, it is repeating the same information on purpose, and it’s totally normal in Spanish.
- les is a pronoun: La profesora les explica la idea…
- a los estudiantes is a full phrase giving more detail: …a los estudiantes…
In Spanish, when the indirect object is a person (or people) and is expressed with a + noun, we almost always also use the indirect object pronoun:
- La profesora les explica la idea a los estudiantes.
- Le di el libro a mi hermana.
This is called clitic doubling. It sounds natural and is often required for the sentence to sound complete, especially with people.
In simple verb forms, object pronouns usually go before the conjugated verb:
- La profesora les explica la idea.
- Te digo la verdad.
- Nos dan los resultados mañana.
The basic rule:
- Conjugated verb alone → pronoun goes before:
- Les explica…
- Conjugated verb + infinitive/gerund → pronoun can go before the conjugated verb or attached to the non‑conjugated verb:
- Les va a explicar la idea. / Va a explicarles la idea.
- Les está explicando la idea. / Está explicándoles la idea.
In your sentence, there is just one conjugated verb (explica), so les goes in front of it.
Because a los estudiantes is an indirect object: it indicates to whom something is explained.
Spanish marks indirect objects with a:
- Explica la idea a los estudiantes. (to the students)
- Le di el libro a Juan. (to Juan)
- Les conté la historia a mis padres. (to my parents)
Compare with a direct object, which usually doesn’t need a, unless it’s a person and you’re using the personal a:
- Veo a los estudiantes. (direct object, people → personal a)
- Veo el libro. (direct object, thing → no a)
- Explico la idea. (direct object, thing → no a)
- Explico la idea a los estudiantes. (indirect object → needs a)
So a los estudiantes tells us they are the indirect object.
Yes, it is grammatically correct:
- La profesora explica la idea a los estudiantes en clase.
However, in everyday Spanish, especially with people as indirect objects, adding the pronoun (les) is more natural and very common:
- La profesora les explica la idea a los estudiantes en clase. ✅ more typical
Without les, the sentence can sound a bit more neutral, written, or slightly less natural in casual speech, depending on the region. In Spain, using both (les + a los estudiantes) is very normal.
Both are possible, but they have slightly different nuances:
en clase = in class, in the lesson, seen as an activity or general context.
- La profesora les explica la idea en clase. → She explains it during class.
en la clase = more literally in the classroom or in that specific class.
- La profesora les explica la idea en la clase de hoy. → in today’s class.
- Hay 25 alumnos en la clase. → in the classroom / in the class group.
In your sentence, en clase is the most natural if you mean during class rather than physically emphasizing the room.
Spanish uses definite articles (el, la, los, las) much more often than English.
- La profesora = the (female) teacher / professor
- El profesor = the (male) teacher / professor
In subject position, you almost always include the article:
- La profesora entra en clase.
- El médico llega tarde.
- Los estudiantes escuchan.
Leaving out the article (Profesora explica la idea…) sounds incomplete or like a title or heading, not a normal sentence.
la idea (definite article) suggests that the idea is already known or specific to the speakers:
- La profesora les explica la idea… → the particular idea we already know about (for example, yesterday’s topic, a concept from the book, etc.)
una idea (indefinite article) would introduce a new, non‑specific idea:
- La profesora les explica una idea. → She explains an idea (not specified which).
So la idea implies that idea, already defined in the context.
No. The pronoun les must stay in its correct position; it cannot be moved to the end like in English.
Valid variations with normal intonation:
- La profesora les explica la idea a los estudiantes en clase.
- La profesora les explica la idea en clase a los estudiantes. (less common but possible)
- En clase, la profesora les explica la idea a los estudiantes.
But you cannot put les after the conjugated verb unless you attach it to an infinitive or gerund:
- Les va a explicar la idea. / Va a explicarles la idea.
- Les está explicando la idea. / Está explicándoles la idea.
So …en clase les at the end in this sentence is incorrect.
Spanish uses the simple present much more widely than English.
- La profesora les explica la idea en clase.
- Can mean: The teacher explains the idea in class (habitually).
- Or: The teacher is explaining the idea in class (right now), depending on context.
Está explicando (present progressive) is used when you want to stress that the action is happening right now, in progress:
- La profesora les está explicando la idea en clase.
In many cases where English must say is explaining, Spanish can use either form, with explica being more common and neutral.
You could say:
- La profesora les enseña la idea a los estudiantes en clase.
But there is a nuance:
- explicar = to explain → focus on clarifying, making something understandable.
- enseñar = to teach → more general: giving knowledge/skills, not only clarifying one specific concept.
So:
- La profesora les explica la idea… → She makes that idea clear to them.
- La profesora les enseña la idea… → She teaches them that idea (includes explaining, but is broader).
In most textbook contexts, explicar la idea is the more precise and natural choice.