Learn Spanish (Latin America): Hay un hospital aquí y se requiere silencio. - There is a hospital here and silence is required.

Hay un hospital aquí y se requiere silencio.

There is a hospital here and silence is required.

Breakdown of Hay un hospital aquí y se requiere silencio.

Questions & Answers about Hay un hospital aquí y se requiere silencio.

Why do we say se requiere instead of just requiere?

This is the impersonal se. If we just said requiere, it would mean "he/she/it requires". By adding se, we don't specify who is doing the requiring. It translates perfectly to the passive English phrase "silence is required" or "one requires silence", which is exactly how general rules are stated in Spanish.

Why is the verb singular (requiere) instead of plural?

When using the impersonal se, the verb matches the noun that follows it. Because silencio is a singular noun, we use the singular verb requiere. If the rule was about a plural noun, like masks, it would be plural: se requieren mascarillas (masks are required).

Why use Hay for "There is" instead of a form of estar?

Hay is a special word that means "there is" or "there are" to show that something exists. You would use a form of estar if you were talking about where a specific, known hospital is located (for example, El hospital está aquí means "The hospital is here").

How do I pronounce hospital in Spanish?

The spelling is exactly the same as in English, but the h is completely silent in Spanish. You pronounce it starting with the O sound: "ohs-pee-tal". Additionally, the spoken stress goes on the final syllable.