Breakdown of ¿Estás comprando un modelo tan ligero como este?
un
a, an (masculine)
comprar
to buy
estar
to be (location/state)
este
this
tan
as / so
como
as / like (such as, similar to)
el modelo
model
ligero
light (weight)
Questions & Answers about ¿Estás comprando un modelo tan ligero como este?
How does the phrase tan ligero como translate to 'as light as'?
In Spanish comparisons, tan means 'as' (or 'so') and como means 'as' (or 'like'). When you put an adjective like ligero (light) between them, it creates the 'as [adjective] as' pattern. So, tan ligero como perfectly translates to 'as light as'.
Why does the adjective ligero end in '-o' here?
Even though it is inside the tan ... como comparison, the adjective ligero still has to match the noun it describes. Since it is describing un modelo (a masculine, singular noun), it must use the masculine singular ending -o.
Why use estás comprando instead of just compras?
Estás comprando means 'you are buying' right now. It uses the verb estar (to be) and the -ando ending, which works just like the English '-ing'. You could ask ¿Compras un modelo...?, but that sounds more general ('Do you buy a model?'). The -ing form emphasizes that the shopping is happening at this very moment.
Why does the sentence just end with este instead of saying 'este modelo'?
In English, we add the word 'one' (this one) so we don't have to repeat the noun. In Spanish, you can just use the pointing word (este) all on its own! We use este rather than esto because it specifically stands in for the masculine noun modelo.
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