Questions & Answers about Los niños están contentos.
Why do we use están here instead of son?
The verb estar is used for moods, feelings, and temporary states. Since being happy is an emotion rather than a permanent trait, we use están (they are) rather than son. Why does están end in the letter 'n'?
In Spanish, adding an 'n' to the end of a verb like this makes it plural for a they form. Here, it matches los niños (they). If it were just one child, it would be está without the 'n'. Why does contentos end in '-os'?
In Spanish, adjectives (describing words) must match the noun they describe. Because los niños is masculine and plural, contentos must also be masculine and plural. If we were talking about girls (las niñas), it would be contentas. Does los niños mean a group of only boys?
Not necessarily! While los niños can mean a group of boys, it is also the standard way to say the children when referring to a mixed group of boys and girls. Learn Los niños están contentos and more in Spanish
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