Breakdown of Quiero comprar una tela roja para el sofá.
para
for / in order to (+ infinitive) / by (a deadline)
rojo
red
un
a, an, some
comprar
to buy
querer
to want; to love (a person)
el sofá
the sofa
la tela
the fabric, the cloth
Questions & Answers about Quiero comprar una tela roja para el sofá.
Why is it el sofá when the word ends in an -a? Shouldn't it be feminine?
While most Spanish words ending in -a are feminine, sofá is a common exception. It is a masculine word, which is why we use el instead of la. Another common exception you might know is el mapa (the map). Also, notice the written accent on the final á!
Why do we use para instead of por in this sentence?
We use para here because it shows the destination or the intended purpose of the fabric. Whenever you buy or make something for a specific person or object (in this case, the sofa), you always use para.
Is tela just a shortened word for television?
No, this is a tricky false friend! In Spanish, tela means fabric, cloth, or material. If you want to talk about a television, you would say la televisión or the informal shortened version, la tele.
Why is comprar left in its dictionary form instead of being conjugated?
When you have two verbs right next to each other to express a single idea, only the first verb changes to match the person doing the action. Here, quiero (I want) is conjugated for 'I', so the second verb, comprar (to buy), stays in its infinitive form.
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