La toalla está limpia, puedes usarla.

Questions & Answers about La toalla está limpia, puedes usarla.

Why is la attached to the end of usar in usarla? Can I say la puedes usar instead?
Yes! In Spanish, when you have a conjugated verb followed by an infinitive (an unconjugated verb like usar), you have two choices for where to put the object pronoun. You can attach it directly to the end of the infinitive (puedes usarla) or place it right before the conjugated verb (la puedes usar). Both options are very common and mean the exact same thing.
Why does the sentence use la for "it" instead of lo?
In Spanish, the pronoun for "it" must match the gender of the noun it replaces. Because "it" refers back to la toalla, which is a feminine noun, we must use the feminine direct object pronoun la. If you were talking about a masculine object, like a plate (el plato), you would use lo instead (puedes usarlo).
Why do we use está for "is" instead of es?
We use the verb estar (here as está) because we are talking about a temporary condition or state. A towel being clean is a state that will change once you use it. If you used es (from the verb ser), it would sound like being clean is a permanent, defining characteristic of the towel.

Learn La toalla está limpia, puedes usarla and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • Practice with interactive exercises
  • Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • Learn at your own pace — completely free