Breakdown of El nuevo dojo, el cual es muy grande, tiene una regla estricta.
ser
to be
tener
to have
una
a, an (feminine)
grande
big
nuevo
new
muy
very
la regla
the rule
estricto
strict
el cual
which / who (masculine singular)
el dojo
dojo
Questions & Answers about El nuevo dojo, el cual es muy grande, tiene una regla estricta.
Why is el cual used here instead of just que?
In non-defining relative clauses (clauses that add extra background information and are set off by commas), you can use el cual instead of que to say "which" or "who". It is more formal and very common in written Spanish. In everyday conversation, you could easily just say , que es muy grande, instead.
Could I use lo cual in this sentence?
No, because the relative pronoun must agree in gender and number with the specific noun it refers to. Since dojo is a masculine singular noun, you must use el cual. You only use the neuter lo cual when "which" refers back to an entire idea, action, or situation rather than a specific noun (for example: "They closed the dojo, which made me sad").
Why does nuevo come before dojo instead of after it?
The placement of nuevo changes its meaning. When placed before the noun, it usually means "new to us" or "newly acquired" (like joining or moving to a different dojo). If you placed it after the noun (el dojo nuevo), it would emphasize that the physical building itself is freshly built or brand new.
Why does estricta come after regla when nuevo came before its noun?
Most descriptive adjectives go after the noun in Spanish because their job is to differentiate the noun from others of its kind. Una regla estricta distinguishes this specific rule from a relaxed one. Nuevo, as mentioned above, is one of a handful of special adjectives that shift their meaning based on placement, which is why it sits before the noun here.
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