Mi hermana prefiere la clase presencial de yoga, pero a veces elige la opción híbrida para teletrabajar y hacer ejercicio el mismo día.

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Questions & Answers about Mi hermana prefiere la clase presencial de yoga, pero a veces elige la opción híbrida para teletrabajar y hacer ejercicio el mismo día.

Why is it prefiere and not something like prefera or prefiera here?

The verb is preferir (to prefer), which is irregular in the present tense.

For mi hermana (she), you need the present indicative form:

  • yo prefiero
  • tú prefieres
  • él / ella / usted prefiere
  • nosotros preferimos
  • vosotros preferís
  • ellos / ellas / ustedes prefieren

So mi hermana prefiere is simply she prefers in the present.

  • prefera → does not exist.
  • prefiera → is usually present subjunctive (e.g. Espero que mi hermana *prefiera…*), so it’s wrong in this sentence, which is just stating a fact, not expressing a wish, doubt, etc.
Why do we say mi hermana prefiere la clase presencial de yoga and not just prefiere clase presencial de yoga without la?

In Spanish, you generally need an article (el / la / los / las) in front of singular countable nouns, even when English leaves it out.

  • English: She prefers in‑person yoga class.
  • Spanish: Ella prefiere la clase presencial de yoga.

Using la here:

  • Treats it as a specific type/kind of class in general, the in‑person yoga class as a concept.
  • Sounds natural and complete in Spanish.

Prefiere clase presencial de yoga (without la) sounds foreign or telegraphic; you’d normally only drop the article in headlines, lists, or notes, not in regular speech.

Why is it clase presencial de yoga and not clase de yoga presencial? Are both correct?

Both are grammatically correct, but clase presencial de yoga is the more natural, common order.

  • clase presencial de yoga

    • First: what kind of class in practical terms (presencial = in person)
    • Then: what the class is about (de yoga)
  • clase de yoga presencial

    • First: subject (de yoga)
    • Then: type of class (presencial)

The difference is subtle. In real usage:

  • Spaniards will more often say clase presencial de yoga.
  • clase de yoga presencial doesn’t sound wrong, but it’s less idiomatic and a bit heavier.
What exactly does presencial mean here? Is it the same as en persona?

Presencial in this context means in‑person, the opposite of online or remote.

  • clase presencial = in‑person class (you physically attend)
  • clase online / clase virtual = online / virtual class

You can say clase en persona, but it’s less common. In Spain, presencial is the usual, slightly more formal/technical word, especially in education and work:

  • trabajo presencial = on‑site work
  • reunión presencial = in‑person meeting

So clase presencial de yoga is very natural, especially in European Spanish.

What does opción híbrida mean, and why is it híbrida with an a?

opción híbrida literally means hybrid option. In this kind of context, híbrida usually suggests a mix of:

  • some in‑person element
  • some online / remote element

The ending ‑a in híbrida is there because adjectives agree in gender with the noun:

  • la opción → feminine singular
  • la opción híbrida

Other examples:

  • el curso híbrido (masculine)
  • una solución híbrida (feminine)

So híbrida is just the feminine form of híbrido to match opción.

Could we use escoge instead of elige? Is there any difference?

Yes, you could say:

  • …pero a veces escoge la opción híbrida…

elige (from elegir) and escoge (from escoger) are near‑synonyms: both mean to choose / to pick.

In everyday speech in Spain:

  • Both elegir and escoger are common.
  • elegir may sound a bit more frequent and slightly more formal in some contexts, but in this sentence either verb works perfectly.

So it’s mostly a stylistic choice here, not a big change in meaning.

Why is it a veces elige and not a veces ella elige? Is it wrong to add ella?

Spanish often drops subject pronouns (yo, tú, él, ella, etc.) because verb endings already show who the subject is.

  • (Ella) elige → the ‑e ending already tells us it’s he/she/it or usted.

In context, mi hermana was just mentioned, so we know elige refers to her.

  • A veces elige la opción híbrida… → natural, standard
  • A veces ella elige la opción híbrida… → grammatically correct, but here it sounds slightly redundant unless you want to stress that she (and not someone else) is the one choosing.

So ella is not wrong; it’s just usually omitted unless you need emphasis or contrast.

Why do we use para teletrabajar y hacer ejercicio (infinitives) instead of something like para que teletrabaje y haga ejercicio?

After para, Spanish normally uses an infinitive when the subject is the same in both parts of the sentence.

Here, the subject is always mi hermana:

  • Mi hermana prefiere…
  • …para teletrabajar y hacer ejercicio…

So:

  • para + infinitive = to / in order to
    para teletrabajar y hacer ejercicio = to work remotely and exercise

You would use para que + subjunctive when the subject changes:

  • Voy a llamarla para que teletrabaje y haga ejercicio.
    I’m going to call her so that she works remotely and exercises.
    (I = subject of voy a llamar; she = subject of teletrabaje / haga)

In your sentence, because it’s the same person doing everything, para + infinitive is the correct and most natural choice.

Why is teletrabajar an infinitive here, and why is hacer also in the infinitive form?

They are both infinitives (teletrabajar, hacer) because they depend on para, which introduces the purpose of the action:

  • para teletrabajar = to work remotely
  • para hacer ejercicio = to exercise / to do exercise

With para expressing purpose:

  • para + infinitive is the standard structure:
    • Voy al gimnasio para hacer ejercicio.
    • Uso el portátil para teletrabajar.

Both teletrabajar and hacer share the same subject (mi hermana), so they both stay in the infinitive after para.

What exactly does teletrabajar mean, and is it a particularly “Spain Spanish” word?

teletrabajar means to work remotely / to work from home using technology (internet, computer, etc.).

  • noun: el teletrabajo = remote work / working from home
  • verb: teletrabajar = to do that kind of work

It’s very common in Spain, especially after the pandemic. In other countries you might also hear:

  • trabajar desde casa
  • trabajo remoto / trabajar en remoto

But in Spain, teletrabajo/teletrabajar is extremely standard in news, companies, and everyday conversations when talking about remote work.