Questions & Answers about Contesta la carta, por favor.
Why does the verb contestar end in an -a here?
This is the affirmative command form for tú (informal singular you). For regular -ar verbs like contestar (to answer), you make the tú command by simply dropping the final -r from the dictionary form. That gives us contesta.
Since contesta also means 'he or she answers', how do I know it is a command?
How would I say this to a group of friends using the vosotros form?
To give a command to a group in Spain, you use the vosotros form. For any regular verb, you just swap the final -r of the infinitive (contestar) for a -d. So you would say: Contestad la carta, por favor.
Does carta mean 'card' like a birthday card or credit card?
It is a common mix-up, but no! In Spanish, carta usually means 'letter' (one you put in an envelope) or a restaurant 'menu'. If you want to talk about a greeting card or a bank card, you need the word tarjeta.
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