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Es el mejor alumno de la clase.

Es el mejor alumno de la clase.
He is the best pupil in the class.
From Lesson 125:Learning Spanish (pronunciar, corregir)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Es el mejor alumno de la clase.

Why does the sentence use 'de' (of) instead of 'en' (in) for 'in the class'?
In Spanish, when you point out the top or bottom of a group using phrases like el mejor (the best) or el más rápido (the fastest), you use de to show the group they belong to. It literally translates to 'the best of the class'.
Why is the adjective mejor placed before the noun alumno?
Most descriptive adjectives in Spanish go after the noun. However, mejor (better/best) and peor (worse/worst) are common exceptions. They almost always come right before the noun they describe.
Since the sentence just starts with Es, how do we know it means 'He is' and not 'She is'?
The verb es can mean 'he is', 'she is', or 'it is'. We know it means 'he is' here because el mejor alumno uses masculine words. If we were talking about a female student, the sentence would be Es la mejor alumna de la clase.
Why do we use Es (from the verb ser) here instead of Está (from the verb estar)?
We use ser because being a student, and being the best one, is considered a defining characteristic or part of someone's identity. We use estar for temporary states or locations, which does not fit here.

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