Breakdown of Nosotros podemos sumar el doble de la docena.
de
from / of
nosotros
we
poder
to be able to / can
el doble
the double
la docena
the dozen
sumar
to add (mathematics, numbers)
Questions & Answers about Nosotros podemos sumar el doble de la docena.
Why do we need de in el doble de la docena when English just says 'double the dozen'?
In Spanish, el doble acts as a noun meaning 'the double.' To connect it to the thing you are doubling, you must use the preposition de (of). You are literally saying 'the double of the dozen.'
Would el doble ever change to la doble since docena is feminine?
Since the lesson also covers fractions, how would I change this to say 'half the dozen'?
You would use la mitad de. The phrase becomes la mitad de la docena. Just like el doble, la mitad (the half) is a noun and requires the preposition de to connect it to the following word.
Does sumar mean 'to add' in any context, like adding sugar to a recipe?
No, sumar is specifically used for mathematical addition or adding numbers and quantities together. If you want to talk about physically adding an ingredient to a recipe or an item to a bag, you would use agregar or añadir.
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