Breakdown of Los niños están oyendo el cuento en la librería.
el niño
the boy / the child
en
in / on / by (means of transport) / about (after pensar)
estar
to be (location/state)
oír
to hear
la librería
the bookshop
el cuento
the story (tale)
Questions & Answers about Los niños están oyendo el cuento en la librería.
Why is it oyendo and not oiendo?
Why do we use están oyendo here instead of just saying Los niños oyen?
Están oyendo is the present continuous tense, which pairs the verb estar (to be) with a gerund (an -ing word). You use this when you want to emphasize that an action is happening right at this very moment. If you just said Los niños oyen, it could mean they hear the story generally, rather than focusing on them actively listening to it right now.
Doesn't librería mean library?
This is a classic false friend! Librería actually means bookshop or bookstore, which is a place where you buy books. If you want to go to a library to borrow a book, you need to look for a biblioteca.
What is the difference between cuento and historia?
Cuento usually refers to a short story, a fictional tale, or a children's book (like the one the children are hearing here). Historia is broader and can mean history as a school subject, or a more general story whether it is true or made up.
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