Learn Spanish (Spain): ¿Vosotras trabajabais en el taller o en la fábrica? - Did you all work in the workshop or in the factory?

¿Vosotras trabajabais en el taller o en la fábrica?

Did you all work in the workshop or in the factory?

Breakdown of ¿Vosotras trabajabais en el taller o en la fábrica?

in / on / by (means of transport) / about (after pensar)

Questions & Answers about ¿Vosotras trabajabais en el taller o en la fábrica?

Why is the verb trabajabais in the imperfect tense instead of the preterite?

This sentence asks about a past habit or ongoing situation, such as where someone used to work over a period of time. Because it is not a single, completed action with a clear start and end, we use the imperfect tense.

Why use vosotras instead of vosotros?

Vosotras is the informal, feminine plural word for "you" used in Spain. The speaker is asking this question to a group made up entirely of women. If the group included even one man, the speaker would use the masculine form vosotros.

Is fábrica the Spanish word for "fabric"?

No, fábrica is a classic false friend that actually means "factory"! If you want to talk about fabric or cloth for making clothes, you would use the word tela.

How do you pronounce the -abais ending in trabajabais?

The -ais part forms a diphthong, meaning those two vowels blend into one quick syllable that sounds like the English word "ice". The spoken emphasis goes on the syllable just before it, making the pronunciation tra-ba-JA-bais.

What kind of workplace is a taller?

A taller is a very general word for a place where manual work or repairs are done. Depending on the context, it usually translates to a workshop, a mechanic's garage, or an artist's studio.