Breakdown of ¿Por qué no está configurada la aplicación del banco?
no
no, not
estar
to be (location/state)
el banco
the bank
por qué
why
del
from the / of the
la aplicación
the app
configurar
to configure
Questions & Answers about ¿Por qué no está configurada la aplicación del banco?
Why do we use está instead of es for "is configured" here?
This sentence uses the state passive (pasiva de resultado). We use estar + past participle to describe the result of an action or a current condition. If we used es configurada, it would mean the app "is being configured" (focusing on the action itself). Here, we are asking why it isn't currently in a finished, configured state.
Why does configurada end in -a?
When a past participle is used with estar to describe a state, it functions like an adjective. This means it must match the subject in both gender and number. Since the subject is the feminine singular la aplicación, the participle changes to configurada.
Why is the subject (la aplicación del banco) placed at the very end of the sentence?
In Spanish questions, it is very common to invert the subject and verb. When the verb phrase has multiple parts (like está configurada), the subject usually goes after the entire phrase rather than breaking it up. Saying ¿Por qué la aplicación del banco no está configurada? is also correct, but putting the subject at the end flows very naturally.
Does aplicación here refer to a software app or a formal application form?
In this context, aplicación means a software or mobile application (and is often just called an app in everyday Spanish). If you were talking about a formal paper or digital application form, such as applying for a loan, you would use the word solicitud instead.
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