Questions & Answers about ¿Son ellos hombres o niños?
Why does the sentence start with Son ellos instead of Ellos son?
In Spanish questions, it is very common to put the verb (son) before the subject pronoun (ellos). Putting the verb first sounds natural, very much like how we swap "they are" to "are they" to form a question in English. Do I need to include the word ellos in this question?
No, you don't have to! Because the verb form son already tells us the subject is "they" (or "you all"), you could perfectly well ask ¿Son hombres o niños?. The pronoun ellos is often included just for extra clarity, for emphasis, or to make sure you practice it in this lesson! Why do we use son (from the verb ser) here instead of the other "to be" verb, estar?
We use forms of ser for things that are fundamental identities, core characteristics, or factual classifications. Being a man or a boy fits into this category. The other verb for "to be" (estar) is used for temporary states, conditions, or locations. I thought niños meant "children". Why is it translated as "boys" here?
The word niños can mean a group of male children (boys) or a mixed group of children in general. In this specific sentence, because it is being directly contrasted with hombres (men), translating it as "boys" makes the most sense in English. Learn ¿Son ellos hombres o niños and more in Spanish
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