Breakdown of Este letrero dice que se prohíbe fumar.
que
that / than
este
this
decir
to say, to tell
el letrero
sign
se
(impersonal) one / passive marker
prohibir
to prohibit
fumar
to smoke
Questions & Answers about Este letrero dice que se prohíbe fumar.
Why do we use se prohíbe here instead of just es prohibido?
This uses the impersonal se. In English, we often use the passive voice ("smoking is prohibited") or a general subject ("they prohibit smoking") for rules. In Spanish, placing se before a third-person verb is the most natural and common way to express these general rules where there isn't a specific person doing the prohibiting.
If the sign prohibited multiple things, like "dogs are prohibited", would the verb change?
Yes! When using the impersonal se to state what is allowed, sold, or prohibited, the verb matches the thing being talked about. Because fumar (an action) counts as singular, we use the singular se prohíbe. If the sign said "dogs are prohibited", the verb would be plural to match the dogs: se prohíben los perros.
The English translation says "smoking", so why doesn't the Spanish sentence use the -ando form (fumando)?
In English, we add "-ing" to a verb to turn it into a noun (the concept of "smoking"). In Spanish, you must always use the infinitive (the base form, fumar) when a verb acts as a noun. Fumando is a gerund, which is only used for actions in progress right now, like "I am smoking" (estoy fumando).
Why is it Este letrero and not Esto letrero?
Este is the masculine singular word for "this" when it is placed directly before a masculine noun like letrero. Esto is a neutral word used for abstract concepts or unidentified objects (like asking "¿Qué es esto?" - "What is this?"), and it is never placed directly next to a noun.
Why does prohíbe have an accent mark on the "í"?
In Spanish, the letter "h" is silent. Without an accent mark, the strong vowel "o" and the weak vowel "i" would blend into a single syllable (sounding a bit like "proy-be"). The accent mark forces them apart into two separate syllables, so the word is correctly pronounced "pro-EE-be".
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