Questions & Answers about ¡Levanta la mano!
Why does it say la mano instead of tu mano (your hand)?
In Spanish, when talking about clothing or body parts, you almost always use the definite article (el, la, los, las) instead of a possessive word like tu or mi. The command makes it obvious whose hand needs to be raised, so tu mano would sound unnatural.
Wait, isn't mano supposed to be masculine since it ends in an '-o'?
It looks like it should be, but mano is one of the most common exceptions to the rule! It is always a feminine noun, which is why it uses la (la mano).
Is levanta an irregular command like the ones we are learning in this lesson?
No, levantar (to raise) is completely regular. Even though you are learning irregular commands right now (like haz or pon), it is important to remember the normal rule: for regular -ar verbs, the affirmative tú command is just the él/ella/usted present tense form (levanta).
Why isn't the verb reflexive (levántate)?
You use the reflexive verb levantarse (levántate) when you are getting yourself up, like standing up from a chair or getting out of bed. Because you are raising a specific object here (the hand), you just use the standard, non-reflexive verb levantar.
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