Questions & Answers about El libro amarillo es nuevo.
Why is the color after the noun (libro amarillo) instead of before it?
In English, we put adjectives (describing words) before the noun: 'the yellow book'. In Spanish, descriptive adjectives like colors usually go after the noun they describe. So, you literally say 'the book yellow' (el libro amarillo).
Why do amarillo and nuevo both end in -o?
Adjectives in Spanish have to match the gender and number of the noun they describe. Because libro is a masculine, singular noun, any adjective describing it must also be in its masculine, singular form. For most adjectives, that means ending in -o. If we were talking about a feminine noun like la mesa (the table), they would change to amarilla and nueva.
Why do we use es here for 'is'?
es is a form of the verb ser, which is used to talk about core characteristics and descriptions. Since being yellow and being new are descriptions of what the book is like, we use ser. You might remember the other word for 'is', está, but that is generally used for temporary states or physical locations.
How do you pronounce the ll in amarillo?
In Latin American Spanish, the double L (ll) makes a 'y' sound, just like the 'y' in the English word 'yellow'. So, amarillo is pronounced like 'ah-mah-REE-yo'.
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