Breakdown of Los niños hablaban en voz baja.
el niño
the boy
hablar
to speak / to talk
en voz baja
in a low voice, quietly
Questions & Answers about Los niños hablaban en voz baja.
Why use the imperfect tense hablaban instead of the preterite hablaron?
What does the phrase en voz baja literally mean?
It translates literally to 'in a low voice.' Voz means 'voice' and baja means 'low.' In Spanish, this is the standard and most natural way to say someone is speaking 'quietly'.
Why is it baja instead of bajo?
The word baja is an adjective describing the noun voz (voice). Even though it doesn't end in typical feminine markers like '-a', voz is a feminine noun (la voz). Therefore, the adjective must take the feminine form baja.
Why not just translate 'quietly' as a single adverb, like quietamente?
Quietamente is a false friend! In Spanish, quieto means 'still' or 'motionless,' not 'silent.' So quietamente would mean speaking without moving your body. To describe the volume of sound, you need en voz baja.
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