Learn Spanish (Latin America): Separen el plástico y el vidrio, por favor. - Separate the plastic and the glass, please.

Separen el plástico y el vidrio, por favor.

Separate the plastic and the glass, please.

Breakdown of Separen el plástico y el vidrio, por favor.

Questions & Answers about Separen el plástico y el vidrio, por favor.

Why does the verb end in -en (separen) instead of -an (separan)?

Separen is the command form used to tell a group of people (ustedes) to do something. For regular -ar verbs like separar (to separate), you drop the -ar and add -en to make the ustedes command. If you used separan, it would just be a statement of fact meaning you all separate or they separate.

Do I always have to repeat the word el like in el plástico y el vidrio?

Yes, it is highly recommended in Spanish. While in English we often drop the second the and say the plastic and glass, Spanish prefers to use the definite article (el, la, los, las) in front of each noun when listing distinct items.

Why does plástico have an accent mark?

The accent mark tells you where to put the spoken stress. Spanish words ending in a vowel usually have the natural stress on the second-to-last syllable. Without the accent, you would pronounce it plas-TI-co. The written mark breaks this rule so you stress the first syllable: PLÁS-ti-co.

Does vidrio also mean a glass you drink out of?

No, vidrio specifically refers to the material itself. If you want to talk about a drinking glass, you need to use the word vaso (for example, un vaso de agua).