Question 1

Why is it séptimo piso and not piso séptimo? I thought adjectives usually go after the noun.

Accepted Answer

You are right that most descriptive adjectives go after the noun in Spanish (like un piso grande). However, ordinal numbers (words like séptimo for seventh, or primero for first) are an exception. They almost always go before the noun.

Question 2

Would séptimo change if we were talking about a feminine word, like a house (casa)?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Ordinal numbers must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because piso (floor) is a masculine word, we use el séptimo. If you were saying the seventh house, it would be feminine: la séptima casa.

Question 3

I learned that primero drops the -o to become primer before a noun. Does séptimo do that too?

Accepted Answer

No, séptimo never drops its -o. The only ordinal numbers that drop the -o before a masculine singular noun are primero (which becomes primer) and tercero (which becomes tercer). So it is el primer piso but el séptimo piso.

Question 4

Why do we need the que in tienes que vivir?

Accepted Answer

The phrase tener que means to have to do something. If you leave out the que, it is grammatically incorrect. Always use tener que followed by the unconjugated action word (like vivir, to live) to express an obligation.

Question 5

Why is Por qué written as two separate words with an accent?

Accepted Answer

In Spanish, por qué (two words, with a written accent on the é) means why, which is used for asking questions. When written as one word without an accent (porque), it means because.

¿Por qué tienes que vivir en el séptimo piso?

Breakdown of ¿Por qué tienes que vivir en el séptimo piso?

Questions & Answers about ¿Por qué tienes que vivir en el séptimo piso?

Learn ¿Por qué tienes que vivir en el séptimo piso and more in Spanish