Breakdown of Leer a menudo es un hábito excelente.
ser
to be
leer
to read
un
a, an (masculine)
excelente
excellent
a menudo
often
el hábito
habit
Questions & Answers about Leer a menudo es un hábito excelente.
How does the phrase a menudo work here?
A menudo is a set phrase that means "often". Even though menudo by itself can mean "small" or "slight", the phrase a menudo functions as a single adverb of frequency. It is very common to place it right after the verb it describes, just like we see here with Leer a menudo.
Why does the sentence use the infinitive Leer instead of a word that translates directly to "Reading"?
In English, we use the "-ing" form when an action is the main subject of a sentence, such as "Reading is fun". In Spanish, you cannot use the equivalent -ando or -iendo forms this way. Instead, you must always use the infinitive (the dictionary form of the verb). That is why "Reading often" translates to Leer a menudo.
Why is it un hábito excelente instead of un excelente hábito?
In Spanish, descriptive adjectives generally come after the noun they modify. Since excelente describes what kind of hábito it is, it belongs right after the noun.
Why does hábito have a written accent mark?
The accent mark tells you to put the speaking stress on the first syllable (há-bi-to). Without the written accent, the rules of Spanish pronunciation would normally force the stress onto the second-to-last syllable (ha-bi-to). This accent also helps distinguish the noun from the verb forms habito (I inhabit) and habitó (he/she inhabited).
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