El abrigo de lana está limpio, pero prefiero llevarlo a la tintorería.

The wool coat is clean, but I prefer to take it to the dry cleaner’s.

Breakdown of El abrigo de lana está limpio, pero prefiero llevarlo a la tintorería.

• yo: I
• estar: to be
• pero: but
• a: to

Questions & Answers about El abrigo de lana está limpio, pero prefiero llevarlo a la tintorería.

Why is it está limpio and not es limpio?

Because limpio here describes a current condition of the coat, not one of its essential characteristics.

• estar + adjective = a state or condition
• ser + adjective = a more permanent or defining quality

So El abrigo está limpio means The coat is clean (right now).

If you said es limpio, it would sound more like it is clean by nature or it is a clean kind of item/person, which does not fit well here.

Why is it de lana?

De lana means made of wool.

In Spanish, material is very often expressed with de + material:

• un abrigo de lana = a wool coat
• una mesa de madera = a wooden table
• un vaso de vidrio = a glass cup

This is more common than trying to turn the material into an adjective in many cases.

Why is it el abrigo and not la abrigo?

Because abrigo is a masculine noun in Spanish, so it takes el.

• el abrigo
• un abrigo

This also affects other words that agree with it, such as limpio:

• El abrigo está limpio
• not limpia