Questions & Answers about ¿Son ricas las hermanas inglesas?
Why is the word order Son ricas las hermanas instead of Son las hermanas ricas?
In Spanish yes/no questions, you usually put the verb first. When the question links a subject to an adjective, it is very natural to group the verb (Son) and the adjective (ricas) together before the subject (las hermanas inglesas). You could also say ¿Son las hermanas inglesas ricas?, but grouping the verb and adjective often flows better for native speakers.
Does the inverted question mark ¿ at the beginning change how I pronounce the sentence?
Yes! The upside-down question mark ¿ is a visual cue that tells you to use a rising, questioning intonation right from the very first word. Because Spanish questions can sometimes use the exact same word order as regular statements, this symbol helps you start reading aloud with the correct tone immediately.
Why is the word for English inglesas here instead of inglés?
Adjectives must match the noun they describe. Because las hermanas (the sisters) is feminine and plural, the adjective needs to be feminine and plural too. For nationalities ending in a consonant like inglés, you add -a for feminine, then -s for plural, making it inglesas. Also, notice that nationalities are not capitalized in Spanish!
Wealth can change, so why do we use son (from ser) instead of están (from estar) for being rich?
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