Breakdown of El profesor tiene veinte alumnos.
el profesor
the teacher
tener
to have
veinte
twenty
el alumno
the pupil, the student
Questions & Answers about El profesor tiene veinte alumnos.
Why does this sentence use alumnos instead of estudiantes?
Both words mean students, but alumnos is often used specifically for pupils belonging to a certain teacher, classroom, or school. Estudiantes is a broader word for anyone who studies, and is very commonly used for older university students.
Is there a difference between a profesor and a maestro?
Yes! In Spain, a maestro usually teaches primary school to younger children. A profesor usually teaches at a high school, a university, or a specialized language academy.
If the teacher's class has both boys and girls, is alumnos still the correct word?
Exactly. In Spanish grammar, the masculine plural alumnos is used as the default for a mixed group of male and female students. You would only use alumnas if every single pupil was female.
How do I remember the spelling of veinte? I always want to write viente.
It is a very common mistake! It helps to remember that the standalone number twenty is veinte starting with vei-. When you count further into the twenties, that ending e changes to an i to connect the words, like in veintiuno for 21 or veintidós for 22.
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