Question 1

Why does this sentence use both es and está to mean "is"?

Accepted Answer

This is the main difference between the two verbs for "to be" in Spanish! We use es (from ser) for nuevo because being a new model is a core, defining characteristic of the car. We use está (from estar) for sucio (dirty) because being dirty is just a temporary state. The car won't be dirty anymore once you wash it!

Question 2

Why is there no word for "it" before está sucio?

Accepted Answer

In Spanish, you can usually drop subject pronouns (like "I", "he", "she", or "it") when the context is clear. Since we are already talking about el carro in the first half of the sentence, the verb form está is enough to mean "it is." You don't need to add an extra word for "it" here.

Question 3

Why do nuevo and sucio both end in "-o"?

Accepted Answer

Because they are describing el carro, which is a masculine singular noun. In Spanish, adjectives always change their endings to match the gender and number of the noun they describe. If we were talking about a feminine noun like a truck (la camioneta), they would change to "-a": nueva and sucia.

Question 4

I've seen the word coche for car. Is carro the same thing?

Accepted Answer

Carro is the most common word for "car" in many parts of Latin America, especially in countries like Mexico and Colombia. Coche is used more often in Spain. You might also hear auto in places like Argentina and Chile. They are all perfectly good words for "car"!

El carro es nuevo, pero está sucio.

Breakdown of El carro es nuevo, pero está sucio.

Questions & Answers about El carro es nuevo, pero está sucio.

Learn El carro es nuevo, pero está sucio and more in Spanish