Breakdown of Los hablantes van olvidando esa expresión.
los
the (masculine plural)
esa
that (feminine)
ir
to go
olvidar
to forget
el hablante
the speaker
la expresión
the expression
Questions & Answers about Los hablantes van olvidando esa expresión.
Why do we use van olvidando instead of están olvidando?
The verb ir combined with a gerund (like olvidando) creates a gradual progressive structure. While están olvidando simply means the action is happening right now, van olvidando emphasizes that the action is happening slowly, bit by bit, or steadily over time.
Could I say vienen olvidando instead?
You could, but it changes the focus. The structure venir + gerund focuses on an action that started in the past and has been continuing up to the present. The structure ir + gerund emphasizes an ongoing process moving forward. Since a language trend like forgetting an expression is usually seen as a forward-moving process, van olvidando is the most natural fit here.
Why is it olvidando esa expresión and not olvidando de esa expresión?
The verb olvidar (to forget) takes a direct object without a preposition, so it is just olvidar algo. However, you might be remembering its pronominal form, olvidarse, which requires the preposition de. If you wanted to use that form here, you would say se van olvidando de esa expresión or van olvidándose de esa expresión.
Is hablantes always masculine?
No, hablante is an invariable noun when it comes to gender. Because it comes from the verb hablar combined with the active participle ending -ante, it can be el hablante (the male speaker) or la hablante (the female speaker). Here, los hablantes uses the masculine plural to refer to speakers in general, regardless of gender.
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