Learn Spanish (Latin America): En primer lugar, la casa es muy pequeña. - In the first place, the house is very small.

En primer lugar, la casa es muy pequeña.

In the first place, the house is very small.

Breakdown of En primer lugar, la casa es muy pequeña.

in the first place, firstly

Questions & Answers about En primer lugar, la casa es muy pequeña.

What is the exact role of En primer lugar in this sentence?

It translates to "in the first place" or "first of all." It is a discourse connector used to organize your thoughts and introduce the very first point in a series of arguments.

Could I start this sentence with Por un lado instead of En primer lugar?

Yes, but it changes expectations! If you use Por un lado (On one hand), you are setting up a direct contrast and the listener will expect a por otro lado (on the other hand) later. En primer lugar simply introduces the first item in a list of points, which usually continues with en segundo lugar.

Can I just say Primero instead of En primer lugar?

Absolutely. Primero is very common and means "first." However, en primer lugar sounds a bit more structured and persuasive, much like choosing "in the first place" over just "first" in English.

Why do we use es rather than está to describe the size of the house?

We use ser (here, es) because size is considered an intrinsic, defining characteristic of the house. Even though a house can technically be remodeled and expanded later, its current structural size is treated as a core identity rather than a temporary state, so estar is not used.