Mi hermano es mecánico.

Questions & Answers about Mi hermano es mecánico.

Why isn't there a word for 'a' before mecánico?
In Spanish, you don't use the indefinite article (un or una) when stating someone's profession right after the verb ser (to be). You just say the person is the profession. If you added a describing word, like saying he is a good mechanic, then you would use the article: es un buen mecánico.
Why do we use es instead of está here?
We use es, which comes from the verb ser, to talk about defining characteristics, including someone's profession. Even though a person can change jobs, Spanish treats professions as an identity rather than a temporary state, so we don't use estar.
How would this sentence change if I were talking about my sister?
You would need to change the words to match the feminine gender. Mi hermano becomes mi hermana, and the profession must also agree, so mecánico becomes mecánica. The whole sentence would be: Mi hermana es mecánica.

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