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Questions & Answers about ¿Es español el chico?
Why is the verb Es at the beginning of the sentence instead of the subject el chico?
In Spanish, yes/no questions often use an "inverted" word order. Instead of the typical Subject + Verb order (like el chico es), the sentence places the verb first. This is a very common way to signal that you are asking a question rather than making a statement.
Can I ask this question without changing the word order?
Yes! You can just use the standard statement word order (¿El chico es español?) and raise the pitch of your voice at the end to make it a question. Both the inverted word order and the voice-pitch method are correct and frequently used in Spain.
Why isn't the word español capitalized?
In Spanish, adjectives for nationalities and languages are never capitalized unless they appear at the very beginning of a sentence. While we write "Spanish" with a capital S in English, it stays lowercase as español in Spanish.
Why is there an upside-down question mark (¿) at the start?
Spanish uses an inverted question mark at the beginning of every question, paired with a standard one at the end (?). This gives readers a helpful "heads up" so they know to use a questioning tone of voice right from the very first word.
Why do we use es instead of está for "is" here?