Mi padre revisa el intermitente izquierdo antes de salir.

Mi padre is the normal, neutral way to say my father in Spanish.

Using a possessive adjective like mi before the noun is the standard pattern:

• mi padre = my father
• mi coche = my car

The longer form el padre mío is not the usual way to say it here. Spanish does have stressed possessive forms like mío, but they are used in different structures, for example:

• un amigo mío = a friend of mine

So in this sentence, mi padre is simply the correct everyday choice.

Spanish often leaves out subject pronouns because the verb ending already tells you who the subject is.

Here:

• revisa = he/she/it checks

Since the sentence already has Mi padre, there is no need to add él:

• Mi padre revisa... = My father checks...

Adding él is possible, but it usually gives extra emphasis or contrast:

• Él revisa el intermitente izquierdo, no yo.
  = He checks the left indicator, not me.

So omitting the pronoun is the normal choice.

Revisa is the present simple form of revisar for él/ella/usted.

Conjugation of revisar in the present:

• yo reviso
• tú revisas
• él/ella/usted revisa
• nosotros revisamos
• vosotros revisáis
• ellos/ellas/ustedes revisan

In this sentence, revisa matches mi padre.

Depending on context, the Spanish present can mean:

• a habitual action: My father checks...
• a routine instruction-like statement
• sometimes even a vivid present in narration

Here, revisar means something like to check, inspect, or make sure something is working properly.

It does not usually mean a long, deep inspection. In this context, it suggests that the father is checking whether the left indicator is functioning before leaving.

Other examples:

• Reviso el correo. = I check my email.
• Revisa las ruedas. = He checks the tyres.
• Tenemos que revisar el documento. = We have to review/check the document.

So revisar is a very common and useful verb for checking things.

Intermitente is a masculine singular noun here, so it takes el:

• el intermitente

Even though the word ends in -e, that does not automatically make it feminine. Spanish nouns ending in -e can be either masculine or feminine, and you usually have to learn the gender with the word.

In Spain, intermitente commonly refers to a vehicle’s indicator/turn signal/blinker.

So:

• el intermitente izquierdo = the left indicator / left turn signal

In Spanish, descriptive adjectives usually come after the noun.

So:

• el intermitente izquierdo = the left indicator
• la puerta izquierda = the left door
• la mano izquierda = the left hand

This is the normal word order for most adjectives that describe type, position, colour, nationality, and so on.

Putting the adjective before the noun is much less common and would usually sound literary, emphatic, or unnatural in a sentence like this.

Yes, you could.

Both are possible:

• el intermitente izquierdo
• el intermitente de la izquierda

The first is shorter and very natural. The second is also natural, especially when you want to be very explicit about the one on the left side.

In many everyday contexts, both would be understood the same way.

Spanish often uses the definite article where English uses a possessive.

So Spanish may say:

• Mi padre revisa el intermitente izquierdo...

where English might prefer:

• My father checks his left indicator...

This happens especially with body parts, clothing, and things closely associated with a person, but it can also happen with objects in context when ownership is obvious.

Spanish does not always need to say su intermitente izquierdo if it is already clear whose indicator is being discussed.

That said, su intermitente izquierdo is grammatically possible, but in many cases el intermitente izquierdo sounds more natural.

Because in Spanish, antes is followed by de before an infinitive.

So the pattern is:

• antes de + infinitive

Examples:

• antes de comer = before eating
• antes de dormir = before sleeping
• antes de salir = before leaving

So:

• Mi padre revisa el intermitente izquierdo antes de salir.

is correct.

Antes salir is not correct Spanish.

Use antes de + infinitive when the subject is understood and no separate finite verb is needed:

• Antes de salir, revisa el coche.
  = Before leaving, he checks the car.

Use antes de que + subjunctive when there is a full clause after it, often with a different subject:

• Mi padre revisa el intermitente antes de que salgamos.
  = My father checks the indicator before we leave.

So the basic contrast is:

• antes de + infinitive
• antes de que + subjunctive clause

Normally, the understood subject of salir is the same as the main subject unless context suggests otherwise.

So here, the natural reading is:

• My father checks the left indicator before leaving / before setting off.

In other words, mi padre is the one doing the leaving.

Spanish often leaves the subject of the infinitive unspoken when it is clear from context.

It could literally mean to leave, but in this context it most naturally means something like:

• before setting off
• before driving away
• before leaving in the vehicle

Because the sentence talks about checking a car indicator, the context strongly suggests departure by car, not just walking out of a building.

So this is a good example of how context shapes the meaning of a common verb like salir.

Yes, intermitente is a very common word in Spain for a vehicle’s indicator/turn signal.

A learner should know that vocabulary can vary across the Spanish-speaking world. In some places, you may hear other terms such as:

• direccional
• señal de giro
• luz de giro

But for Spanish from Spain, intermitente is a very useful and natural word.

Yes. All of those can work, depending on the variety of English:

• indicator is especially common in British English
• turn signal is common in American English
• blinker is also common in informal American English

So el intermitente izquierdo could be rendered as:

• the left indicator
• the left turn signal
• the left blinker

They all fit the Spanish sentence.

Adjectives in Spanish usually agree with the noun in gender and number.

Here:

• intermitente = masculine singular
• so the adjective is izquierdo = masculine singular

Compare:

• el intermitente izquierdo = the left indicator
• la rueda izquierda = the left wheel
• los intermitentes izquierdos = the left indicators
• las puertas izquierdas = the left doors

So izquierdo is chosen because it matches a masculine singular noun.

It could be either, depending on context.

The Spanish present often covers both:

1. Habit / routine

   • Mi padre revisa el intermitente izquierdo antes de salir.
   • My father checks the left indicator before leaving.

2. What is happening now, especially in narration or commentary

   • My father is checking the left indicator before leaving.

If you wanted to make the right now meaning more explicit, Spanish could also use:

• Mi padre está revisando el intermitente izquierdo antes de salir.

But the simple present is completely natural and often preferred.

The given order is natural and neutral:

• Mi padre revisa el intermitente izquierdo antes de salir.

But Spanish word order is somewhat flexible. For example:

• Antes de salir, mi padre revisa el intermitente izquierdo.

This puts more focus on the time expression before leaving.

You generally would not move things around randomly, but Spanish does allow some rearrangement for emphasis, rhythm, or style more easily than English does.