Breakdown of Doce estudiantes pueden compartir tres computadoras.
el estudiante
the student
la computadora
the computer
compartir
to share
poder
to be able to / can
tres
three
doce
twelve
Questions & Answers about Doce estudiantes pueden compartir tres computadoras.
Do the numbers doce and tres change depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine?
Why is compartir left in its full dictionary form instead of being conjugated?
When two verbs are used together to express a single idea (like "can share"), only the first verb gets conjugated. Here, pueden (they can) is conjugated to match the twelve students, so the second verb, compartir (to share), stays in its unconjugated infinitive form.
Why is it pueden? Isn't the verb for "to be able to" or "can" spelled poder?
Why aren't there words for "the" (like las) before the numbers in this sentence?
Just like in English, you don't need a definite article (the words for "the") when you are simply stating a quantity. You just put the number directly in front of the noun: tres computadoras (three computers), not las tres computadoras (the three computers).
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