Ese cojín azul es más cómodo de lo que parece, pero ocupa mucho espacio en el sofá.

Spanish has three common demonstratives for this/that:

• este = this, near the speaker
• ese = that, near the listener or not especially close to the speaker
• aquel = that over there, farther away

So ese cojín means that cushion. It suggests the cushion is not right by the speaker, or it is being identified as that one rather than this one.

Also, cojín is masculine singular, so the demonstrative must be masculine singular too:

• este cojín
• ese cojín
• aquel cojín

The accent mark shows where the stress goes: co-JÍN.

Without the accent, Spanish stress rules would make you expect a different pronunciation. The written accent tells you clearly that the stress falls on the last syllable.

It is also useful to know:

• singular: cojín
• plural: cojines

The accent disappears in the plural because the stress pattern changes naturally.

Not all Spanish adjectives change for masculine and feminine.

Azul is one of many adjectives that have:

• the same form for masculine and feminine singular: azul
• a different plural form: azules

So:

• cojín azul = blue cushion
• mesa azul = blue table
• cojines azules = blue cushions
• mesas azules = blue tables

Unlike cómodo/cómoda, azul does not change for gender.

Because cómodo agrees with cojín, and cojín is masculine singular.

In Spanish, adjectives usually agree with the noun they describe in gender and number:

• masculine singular: cómodo
• feminine singular: cómoda
• masculine plural: cómodos
• feminine plural: cómodas

So:

• Ese cojín es cómodo
• Esa silla es cómoda

This is a very common Spanish structure:

• más + adjective + de lo que + verb

It means something like:

• more ... than it seems
• more ... than you would think
• more ... than it appears

So:

• más cómodo de lo que parece = more comfortable than it seems

Why de lo que?
Because after a comparative like más, when what follows is a whole clause rather than just a noun or pronoun, Spanish often uses de lo que.

Compare:

• Es más cómodo que el otro.
  = It is more comfortable than the other one.
  Here you compare with a noun phrase, so que is used.

• Es más cómodo de lo que parece.
  = It is more comfortable than it seems.
  Here you compare with an idea/clause, so de lo que is used.

This pattern is very common:

• más difícil de lo que pensaba
• menos caro de lo que esperaba
• mejor de lo que imaginé

The verb parece is third-person singular from parecer.

In this sentence, the understood subject is the same thing being talked about: ese cojín azul. In natural English, we would often say it seems.

So:

• Ese cojín azul es más cómodo de lo que parece literally works like:
• That blue cushion is more comfortable than it seems

Spanish often leaves the subject unstated when it is already clear from context.

Spanish often uses ser for qualities seen as characteristic or defining, and estar for states or conditions.

Here, the sentence is describing the cushion as being comfortable in general, as a quality of the object:

• es cómodo

If you said está cómodo, that would more naturally describe a person or animal being physically comfortable in a situation:

• Estoy cómodo en esta silla.
• El gato está cómodo aquí.

For an object like a cushion, ser cómodo is the normal choice when talking about its comfort as a feature.

The verb ocupar commonly means to take up or to occupy space.

So:

• ocupa mucho espacio = it takes up a lot of space

This is a very natural Spanish expression. English often uses the phrasal verb take up, but Spanish usually just uses the single verb ocupar.

Examples:

• La mesa ocupa demasiado espacio.
• Ese armario ocupa toda la pared.

Because espacio here is being treated as an uncountable idea: space.

In English, we also usually say:

• a lot of space not
• a lot of spaces

So Spanish says:

• mucho espacio

If you were talking about separate physical spaces or areas, then a plural might make sense:

• Hay muchos espacios en el edificio.

But here the meaning is simply that the cushion takes up a large amount of room, so mucho espacio is correct.

In Spanish, en can correspond to both in and on in English, depending on context.

So en el sofá here is naturally understood as on the sofa.

Spanish does not always distinguish in and on the way English does. The preposition en covers a lot of those uses:

• en la mesa = on the table
• en la caja = in the box
• en el sofá = on the sofa

The exact English translation depends on the object and the situation.

In Spanish, adjectives usually come after the noun:

• cojín azul
• casa grande
• libro interesante

That is the normal position for most descriptive adjectives, especially things like color, size, shape, and other factual qualities.

Putting the adjective before the noun is sometimes possible, but it often changes the tone or meaning, and with colors it is much less common. So cojín azul is the standard order.

Not with exactly the same meaning.

• Parece más cómodo = It seems more comfortable
• Es más cómodo de lo que parece = It is more comfortable than it seems

The original sentence creates a contrast between appearance and reality:

• it may not look very comfortable,
• but in reality it is more comfortable than you would expect.

So es más cómodo de lo que parece is more precise and expressive here.

Yes, in this sentence pero simply means but.

It connects two contrasting ideas:

• the cushion is more comfortable than it seems,
• but it takes up a lot of space on the sofa.

So the sentence balances a positive point and a negative point. This is one of the most common uses of pero.