Es importante terminar la obra en la cocina antes del sábado.

to be

Breakdown of Es importante terminar la obra en la cocina antes del sábado.

• en: in
• importante: important
• la cocina: the kitchen

Questions & Answers about Es importante terminar la obra en la cocina antes del sábado.

Why does the sentence start with Es importante instead of just Importante?

Because es importante is the normal full way to say it is important in Spanish.

• Es = it is
• importante = important

Spanish often uses es + adjective + infinitive for general statements:

• Es fácil aprender. = It is easy to learn.
• Es necesario salir temprano. = It is necessary to leave early.

Saying only Importante would sound incomplete here.

Why is terminar in the infinitive?

After expressions like es importante, Spanish often uses an infinitive when speaking generally about an action.

So:

• Es importante terminar la obra... = It is important to finish the work...

This structure is very common:

• Es bueno comer bien. = It is good to eat well.
• Es difícil encontrar aparcamiento. = It is difficult to find parking.

If you want to say that a specific person or group should do it, Spanish often uses que + subjunctive instead:

• Es importante que terminemos la obra... = It is important that we finish the work...
• Es importante que terminen la obra... = It is important that they finish the work...

What exactly does la obra mean here?