Question 1

Why is it las flores but los árboles?

Accepted Answer

Both use a plural word for "the", but the article must match the gender of the noun. Flor (flower) is feminine, so it takes the feminine plural las. Árbol (tree) is masculine, so it takes the masculine plural los. In Spanish, articles always change to match both the gender and the number of the noun they belong to.

Question 2

Since flores doesn't end in "-a", how do I know it's feminine and needs las?

Accepted Answer

The singular form is la flor. Words that end in consonants like "-r" don't follow the simple "-o is masculine, -a is feminine" rule. La flor is simply a feminine word you have to memorize! When it becomes plural, it keeps its feminine gender, becoming las flores.

Question 3

Where is the word for "at" in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

You don't need one! The Spanish verb mirar means "to look at" or "to watch" all by itself. So, ustedes miran directly translates to "you look at." Trying to add an extra word for "at" here would sound incorrect to a native speaker.

Question 4

Why does árboles have an accent mark?

Accepted Answer

The singular word is el árbol. The accent mark on the á tells you to stress that syllable (AR-bol). When we make it plural by adding -es, the word gets longer (ár-bo-les), but the spoken stress stays on that exact same a. The written accent mark is kept to ensure you don't accidentally stress the wrong part of the new, longer word.

Question 5

Does ustedes mean we are talking to a formal group of people, like bosses or elders?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily! In Latin America, ustedes is the only way to say "you" to a group of people. You will use ustedes whether you are talking to a group of important clients or a group of your closest friends.

Ustedes miran las flores y los árboles.

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