Question 1

Why is there no word for "at" after mira?

Accepted Answer

In Spanish, the verb mirar means "to look at" or "to watch". The "at" is already built right into the verb, so you do not need an extra word before la boca.

Question 2

Why does the sentence use la boca (the mouth) instead of saying "his mouth"?

Accepted Answer

When talking about body parts, Spanish almost always uses the words for "the" (el, la, los, las) instead of possessive words like "his" or "her". Because the sentence adds del niño (of the boy) at the end, we know exactly whose mouth and neck the doctor is looking at.

Question 3

Where does the word del come from?

Accepted Answer

del is a mandatory contraction. Whenever the word de (of) is followed right away by el (the, for masculine nouns), they combine to form del. You will never see de el written separately in Spanish.

Question 4

How does Spanish say "the boy's" without using an apostrophe?

Accepted Answer

Spanish does not use an apostrophe 's to show ownership. Instead, it flips the phrase around and uses de (of). So, "the boy's mouth and neck" translates literally to "the mouth and the neck of the boy" (la boca y el cuello del niño).

El médico mira la boca y el cuello del niño.

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