Breakdown of El profesor está explicando la teoría.
el profesor
the teacher
estar
to be (location/state)
explicar
to explain
la teoría
the theory
Questions & Answers about El profesor está explicando la teoría.
The current lesson is about using llevar + gerund. Since this sentence uses estar + gerund (está explicando), how would we change it to say "The professor has been explaining the theory for an hour"?
Could I just say El profesor explica la teoría using the simple present tense?
Yes, but it changes the nuance slightly. Explica can mean he is explaining it now, but it often means he generally explains it (e.g., "The professor explains the theory every semester"). By using está explicando (the present progressive), it makes it crystal clear that the action is in progress right at this exact moment.
Does profesor specifically mean a university professor?
Not necessarily. While "professor" in English usually means someone teaching at a college or university, profesor (and profesora) in Spanish is a general word for "teacher" and is widely used for middle school and high school teachers as well.
Why does teoría have an accent mark on the 'i'?
The accent mark tells you to pronounce the 'i' and the 'a' as two separate syllables (te-o-rí-a) rather than blending them together into one sound. Without the written accent on the 'i', the spoken stress of the word would naturally fall on the 'o'.
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