Learn Spanish (Latin America): Ellos ven un perro negro y un pájaro blanco.

Ellos ven un perro negro y un pájaro blanco.

They see a black dog and a white bird.

Breakdown of Ellos ven un perro negro y un pájaro blanco.

Questions & Answers about Ellos ven un perro negro y un pájaro blanco.

Why are the colors placed after the animals (perro negro, pájaro blanco)?

In Spanish, adjectives (describing words like colors) usually come right after the noun they describe. Instead of saying 'black dog' like in English, the order is flipped to dog black (perro negro).

Why do negro and blanco both end in -o here?

Because adjectives must match the gender and number of the noun they describe. Since perro (dog) and pájaro (bird) are both masculine and singular, the colors take their masculine singular form, ending in -o. If the animals were feminine, you would change the endings to -a (like negra or blanca).

Which verb does ven come from?

Ven comes from the verb ver, which means to see. Because it is matched with ellos (they), it takes the 'they' form, making ellos ven (they see).

Why does the sentence use un instead of uno?

When saying 'a' or 'an' right before a masculine singular noun (like perro or pájaro), you must use un. You only use uno when you are saying the number 'one' all by itself, without naming the object right after it.