Breakdown of Hace una hora que observo la luna con este telescopio.
una
a, an (feminine)
con
with
la hora
hour
que
that / than
Questions & Answers about Hace una hora que observo la luna con este telescopio.
Why does the Spanish sentence use the present tense observo instead of a past tense?
In Spanish, when an action started in the past and is still happening right now, you use the present tense. Even though English uses 'have been observing', Spanish literally says 'It makes an hour that I observe'.
What is the exact meaning of Hace una hora que in this sentence?
This is a set formula used to say how long you have been doing something. Literally, it translates to 'It makes an hour that...' but in English, we just say 'For an hour'. The formula is Hace + [amount of time] + que + [present tense verb].
Can I change the word order and put the time at the end of the sentence?
Why is it este telescopio and not esto telescopio?
Telescopio is a masculine noun, so you need the masculine word for 'this', which is este. The word esto is neutral and is only used when you don't name the specific object (for example, 'What is this?'). Since you are naming the telescope, you must use este.