El cristal rayado ya no parece transparente.

The scratched glass no longer looks as though it lets light pass through.

Breakdown of El cristal rayado ya no parece transparente.

• parecer: to seem
• el cristal: the glass
• ya no: no longer
• rayado: scratched

Questions & Answers about El cristal rayado ya no parece transparente.

Why is it el cristal and not just cristal?

Because Spanish often uses the definite article more than English does. El cristal usually means the glass or the pane/piece of glass, referring to a specific one.

If you said just cristal, it would sound more like a dictionary form, a label, or part of a different structure rather than a normal full subject in this sentence.

What does cristal mean here? Is it the same as vidrio?

They are related, but not always identical.

In Spain, cristal often refers to:

• glass as a material
• a pane of glass
• glassware in some contexts

Vidrio also means glass, especially the material itself.

In this sentence, el cristal most naturally suggests the glass surface or the pane of glass. In everyday Spanish, especially in Spain, cristal is very natural here.

What does rayado mean in this sentence?