Learn Spanish (Latin America): El ruido de las palomitas distrae a la gente y arruina la película. - The noise of the popcorn distracts people and ruins the movie.

El ruido de las palomitas distrae a la gente y arruina la película.

The noise of the popcorn distracts people and ruins the movie.

Breakdown of El ruido de las palomitas distrae a la gente y arruina la película.

Questions & Answers about El ruido de las palomitas distrae a la gente y arruina la película.

Why do we need the word "a" before "la gente" in this sentence?

This is the "personal a". In Spanish, when the direct object of a verb is a person or a specific group of people, you must put the word a right before it. Even though la gente is a collective noun, it refers to humans, so it requires the personal a after the verb distrae.

Since "la gente" means "people" (plural), why does the sentence use the singular verbs "distrae" and "arruina"?

English treats "people" as a plural word, but the Spanish word la gente is grammatically singular. You can think of it like the English word "the crowd" or "the population." Because it is a singular feminine noun, it must take the "he/she/it" singular verb forms, like distrae and arruina.

Is "palomitas" the only way to say popcorn in Latin America?

Palomitas (literally "little doves") is the most widely understood term and is standard in Mexico and Latin American movie dubs. However, popcorn has many regional names! Depending on the country, you might hear pochoclo (Argentina), cabritas (Chile), cotufas (Venezuela), or pororó (Uruguay and parts of Argentina).

The current lesson is about using "dejar de" to mean "to stop doing something." How could I use that grammar to describe this situation?