Breakdown of El instructor, el cual suele observar el combate, es muy estricto.
ser
to be
muy
very
estricto
strict
observar
to observe
soler
to usually do / to tend to
el combate
the combat
el cual
which / who (masculine singular)
el instructor
the instructor
Questions & Answers about El instructor, el cual suele observar el combate, es muy estricto.
Why use el cual here instead of que or quien?
In this non-defining relative clause (a clause set off by commas that adds extra background information), you can use el cual, quien, or que. El cual is more formal and is often used in written Spanish to sound precise and elegant. Since we are referring to a person (el instructor), quien would also be a great option, while que is the most common choice in everyday spoken Spanish.
Would el cual change if the sentence were about a female instructor?
Could I drop the commas around el cual suele observar el combate?
No, you generally cannot use el cual as a subject if you drop the commas. Without commas, it becomes a defining clause (specifying exactly which instructor you mean out of several), and in that case, you are required to use que. The commas make it a non-defining clause, which allows you to use formal options like el cual.
How does suele translate to "usually" when it looks like a conjugated verb?
Suele is the third-person form of the verb soler, which means to tend to do something or to be in the habit of doing it. In Spanish, instead of using an adverb for "usually," it is very common to conjugate soler and follow it with an infinitive. Here, suele observar literally means "he tends to observe," which naturally translates to "he usually observes."
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