Mi abuela es brasileña, pero no habla español.

Questions & Answers about Mi abuela es brasileña, pero no habla español.

Why use "es" instead of "está" for "is"?
In Spanish, there are two verbs for "to be." Here, es comes from the verb ser, which is used for permanent traits, origins, and identities—like someone's nationality. You use estar for temporary states, feelings, or locations.
Why isn't "brasileña" or "español" capitalized?
Unlike in English, Spanish does not capitalize nationalities (brasileña) or languages (español). They are always written with lowercase letters unless they are the very first word of a sentence.
Why does "brasileña" end in an "a"?
Adjectives (describing words) must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because abuela (grandmother) is a feminine noun, the adjective for Brazilian takes the feminine form brasileña instead of the masculine form brasileño.
Where is the word for "she" in the second half of the sentence?
It is left out! The verb habla means "he speaks," "she speaks," or "you (formal) speak." Because we are already talking about mi abuela, it is obvious who we mean. In Spanish, it is very common to drop subject pronouns like ella (she) when the context makes it clear.
Why isn't it "no habla el español"?
Normally, Spanish requires you to use the word for "the" (el) before the names of languages. However, there is an exception: when a language immediately follows the verb hablar (to speak), you drop the el. So, it is just habla español.

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