Log inSign up

Los estudiantes escriben con lápiz.

Los estudiantes escriben con lápiz.
The students write in pencil.
From Lesson 32:In class (¿puedes repetir?)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Los estudiantes escriben con lápiz.

Why does the Spanish sentence use con (with) instead of "in" for "in pencil"?
Prepositions often don't translate word-for-word between English and Spanish. In English, we write "in pencil" or "in pen", but in Spanish, you write with the tool: con lápiz (with pencil) or con bolígrafo (with pen).
Why isn't there an article, like con un lápiz (with a pencil)?
When you talk about the material or method you are using to write, Spanish usually leaves out the article (un or el). Saying con lápiz focuses on the medium (pencil lead) rather than a single, specific physical object.
Why does the verb escriben end in -en?
Escriben comes from the verb escribir (to write). For regular verbs that end in -ir, the "they" form (which matches los estudiantes) always ends in -en.
How do we know if los estudiantes is a group of boys or girls?
The word estudiante doesn't change based on gender; you just change the article (el estudiante for a boy, la estudiante for a girl). The plural los estudiantes means it is either a group of boys or a mixed group of boys and girls. If it were a group of only girls, it would be las estudiantes.

Learn Los estudiantes escriben con lápiz and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Spanish →