Learn Spanish (Latin America): ¡Cómo brotan las flores en el invernadero! - How the flowers sprout in the greenhouse!

In exclamations, ¡Cuánto! focuses purely on quantity (How much!), while ¡Cómo! followed by a verb focuses on the intensity, manner, or extent of the action. Here, ¡Cómo brotan! translates to "How they sprout!" and emphasizes the amazing way or the intense rate at which the flowers are growing.

Why does the verb brotan come before the subject las flores?

In exclamatory sentences starting with words like Cómo, Qué, or Cuánto, the verb almost always comes right after the exclamatory word. This naturally pushes the subject (las flores) to come after the verb.

Is there a trick to remembering the word invernadero?

Yes! Invernadero (greenhouse) shares a root with invierno (winter). A greenhouse is essentially a place designed to keep plants warm and growing during the cold winter months.

Can the verb brotar be used for things other than plants?

Yes. While it literally means to sprout or to bud for plants, brotar can also be used metaphorically. For example, it can describe water welling up from a spring, or an idea and an emotion suddenly springing up.