Learn Spanish (Latin America): El tamaño de la semilla es importante cuando la tierra está húmeda. - The size of the seed is important when the soil is damp.

El tamaño de la semilla es importante cuando la tierra está húmeda.

The size of the seed is important when the soil is damp.

Breakdown of El tamaño de la semilla es importante cuando la tierra está húmeda.

to be (location/state)

importante

important

Questions & Answers about El tamaño de la semilla es importante cuando la tierra está húmeda.

Why does this sentence use both es and está?

It is a great example of the difference between ser and estar. We use es importante because importance is being described as a core characteristic of the seed's size. We use está húmeda because being damp is a temporary physical state or condition of the soil, not a permanent trait.

How could I apply this lesson's topic to say 'The damper the soil, the more important the seed size is'?

You can use the proportional phrase mientras más (the more). You would say: Mientras más húmeda está la tierra, más importante es el tamaño de la semilla. Notice that we still use the indicative verbs está and es just like in the original sentence!

Does the word tierra just mean soil?

It means soil or dirt in this agricultural context, but it is a very versatile word. Depending on the sentence, tierra can also mean land, ground, or even the planet Earth (which is usually capitalized as la Tierra).

Why is there an accent mark on húmeda?

The word húmeda is an esdrújula word, meaning the spoken stress falls on the third-to-last syllable (HU-me-da). In Spanish, words with this stress pattern always require a written accent mark to show you where to place the spoken emphasis.