Breakdown of Escucho una canción en la radio.
un
a, an, some
en
in / on / by (means of transport) / about (after pensar)
escuchar
to listen to
la canción
the song
la radio
the radio
Questions & Answers about Escucho una canción en la radio.
Why is there no word for 'to' after escucho?
The English translation says 'I am listening', but isn't escucho just 'I listen'?
In Spanish, the simple present tense like escucho is very flexible. It can mean both 'I listen' (a regular habit) and 'I am listening' (happening right now). You will often see it used where English uses the 'am doing' format.
How do we know to use una with canción?
The word canción (song) is a feminine noun. A great rule to remember is that almost all Spanish words ending in -ción are feminine, which is why it uses the feminine word for 'a' (una) instead of un.
Wait, radio ends in '-o'. Why is it la radio instead of el radio?
Radio is a tricky exception! It is actually short for a longer word, la radiodifusión (broadcasting). Because it is just a shortened version of a feminine word, it stays feminine even though it ends in '-o'.
Why do we use en to say 'on the radio'? Doesn't en mean 'in'?
The Spanish word en is a great multitasker! It can translate to 'in', 'on', or 'at' depending on the context. When you hear or see something on a broadcast or device (like the radio, television, or the internet), Spanish uses en.
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