ELONIO
Log inSign up

Dormir la siesta es típico en esta ciudad.

Dormir la siesta es típico en esta ciudad.
Taking a nap is typical in this city.
From Lesson 156:Habitual actions (soler)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Dormir la siesta es típico en esta ciudad.

Why does the sentence start with the infinitive Dormir instead of a gerund like durmiendo if the English translation is "Taking"?
In Spanish, when an action acts as the subject of a sentence (like "Taking a nap" does here), you always use the infinitive (dormir). The Spanish gerund (ending in -ndo) is only used to describe actions that are currently in progress, never as a noun.
Why does the sentence use Dormir la siesta instead of the verb tomar (to take)?
While English uses the phrase "to take a nap", the most natural and traditional expression in Spanish is dormir la siesta (literally "to sleep the nap"). You might occasionally hear tomar una siesta, but dormir is the standard verb used for this activity.
Since this lesson is about soler (to usually do something), how could I express this same habit using that verb?
To describe this local habit using soler, you could say La gente suele dormir la siesta en esta ciudad (People usually take a nap in this city). Notice how the present tense suele (from soler) is immediately followed by the infinitive dormir.
Why do we use es instead of está for "is typical"?
We use es (from the verb ser) because being "typical" is a defining characteristic or a permanent trait of the city's lifestyle and culture, rather than a temporary state or condition.

Learn Dormir la siesta es típico en esta ciudad 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
Start learning Spanish →