Questions & Answers about Tú no lees la carta.
Why does no come before the verb lees?
In Spanish, making a sentence negative is very simple: you just place no directly in front of the main verb. You do not need extra helping words like 'do' or 'does' as you do in English. So, 'you do not read' is simply no lees.
Can I drop the word Tú and just say No lees la carta?
Yes! In Spanish, the verb ending usually tells you who is doing the action. Since lees always means 'you read,' the pronoun tú is optional. People usually only include it to add emphasis or to be very clear.
Why does the word Tú have an accent mark here?
The accent mark tells you that tú means 'you' (the subject of the sentence). Without the accent, tu means 'your' (as in tu carta for 'your letter'). The pronunciation is exactly the same, but the accent mark helps tell the two written words apart.
Does carta mean 'card' or 'cart'?
No, carta most commonly means 'letter' (the kind you mail to someone). While it can also mean a playing card or a restaurant menu, a greeting card or credit card is usually called a tarjeta.
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