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Questions & Answers about El manillar está flojo.
Why is it el manillar and not something plural like los manillares if English often says handlebars?
Because in Spanish, manillar is usually a singular noun that refers to the whole handlebar assembly.
So:
- el manillar = the handlebar / the handlebars
- los manillares = the handlebars in the sense of several different bikes’ handlebars
This is one of those cases where Spanish and English divide up the object differently. English often uses a plural form, but Spanish normally uses the singular.
What exactly does manillar mean?
Manillar means handlebar or handlebars, especially on things like:
- a bicycle
- a motorcycle
- a scooter
In Spain, manillar is the normal word for this. In some other Spanish-speaking countries, you may also hear other words such as manubrio.
Why does the sentence use está instead of es?