Su zancada es corta.

Su is a possessive adjective meaning his, her, your (formal singular), or their. Spanish does not tell you which one it is from su alone, so the context has to make it clear.

So Su zancada es corta could mean:

• His stride is short
• Her stride is short
• Your stride is short (speaking formally)
• Their stride is short

If you need to make it explicit, Spanish can add more information, for example:

• La zancada de él es corta
• La zancada de ella es corta

Because zancada is singular.

• su = his/her/your/their
  • singular noun
• sus = his/her/your/their
  • plural noun

Examples:

• Su zancada = his/her stride
• Sus zancadas = his/her strides

The possessive agrees with the thing possessed, not with the owner.

Zancada usually means stride: the distance covered in one long step while walking or running.

It is more specific than just step. A zancada suggests a fuller, longer movement of the legs.

Related words:

• paso = step
• zancada = stride

So this sentence is talking about the person’s stride length, not just one individual step.

Because corta is describing zancada, and zancada is a feminine singular noun.

In Spanish, adjectives usually agree with the noun they describe:

• zancada corta = feminine singular
• paso corto = masculine singular
• zancadas cortas = feminine plural
• pasos cortos = masculine plural

So:

• Su zancada es corta is correct
• Su zancada es corto is not correct

Spanish uses ser and estar differently, and here es comes from ser.

Ser is used for characteristics, descriptions, and more general qualities.
Estar is more often used for states, conditions, or location.

In Su zancada es corta, the sentence describes a characteristic of the person’s stride, so ser is the natural choice.

Compare:

• Su zancada es corta = their stride is short (a general characteristic)
• Está cansado = he/she is tired (a state)

Here corta means short in the sense of not long in length.

So Su zancada es corta means the person’s stride does not cover much distance.

It does not mean brief in a time sense here. The context is physical movement, so the meaning is about length or reach.

In standard Peninsular Spanish, zancada is pronounced approximately:

than-KA-tha or more precisely /θanˈkaða/

A few useful points:

• z in Spain is usually like th in thin
• c before a sounds like k
• the stress is on -ca-: zan-CA-da

So for Spain Spanish, the first sound is not like English z.

Yes, it is correct and natural.

It is a straightforward descriptive sentence. Depending on context, Spanish speakers might also say things like:

• Tiene la zancada corta = He/She has a short stride
• Da zancadas cortas = He/She takes short strides
• Da pasos cortos = He/She takes short steps

But Su zancada es corta is perfectly valid.

You could, but it is not exactly the same.

• paso = step
• zancada = stride

Su paso es corto sounds less idiomatic in many contexts than Su zancada es corta if you specifically mean stride length.

More natural alternatives might be:

• Da pasos cortos = He/She takes short steps
• Tiene la zancada corta = He/She has a short stride

So paso and zancada are related, but they are not perfect substitutes.

Yes. Zancada can refer to a stride in both walking and running, as long as you are talking about the length or style of the person’s movement.

It often appears in contexts like:

• walking technique
• running form
• athletic training
• physical description

So the sentence works in either kind of context.

In form, su agrees with the thing possessed in number, not with the owner.

That is why:

• su zancada = singular noun
• sus zancadas = plural noun

It does not change depending on whether the owner is one person or several people:

• su zancada = his/her/your/their stride
• sus zancadas = his/her/your/their strides

This often confuses English speakers because English changes the possessive according to the owner (his, her, their), while Spanish often does not.

You can add a clarifying phrase with de.

Examples:

• La zancada de él es corta = His stride is short
• La zancada de ella es corta = Her stride is short
• La zancada de usted es corta = Your stride is short
• La zancada de ellos es corta = Their stride is short

In real Spanish, speakers often rely on context first, and only add this kind of phrase if needed.

Because Spanish normally uses a possessive adjective like su directly before the noun, without an article.

So you say:

• su zancada
• mi casa
• tu libro

Not:

• la su zancada
• la mi casa
• el tu libro

Spanish does have longer possessive forms like mío, tuyo, suyo, but they are used differently:

• La zancada es suya = The stride is his/hers/yours/theirs

That is a different structure.

Yes, su corta zancada is possible.

Compare:

• Su zancada es corta = neutral statement
• Su corta zancada = his/her short stride, often a bit more descriptive or stylistic

In Spanish, adjective position can sometimes change tone or emphasis. After the noun is the more neutral, basic position. Before the noun can sound more literary, expressive, or focused.

So both are possible, but the original sentence is the simplest and most straightforward version.