Breakdown of Se buscan pintores para los edificios nuevos.
para
for / in order to (+ infinitive) / by (a deadline)
nuevo
new / another, different (before the noun)
buscar
to look for
el edificio
the building
se
one, people (impersonal)
el pintor
the painter
Questions & Answers about Se buscan pintores para los edificios nuevos.
Why is the verb plural (buscan) instead of singular (busca)?
In this structure, called the passive reflexive, the noun being acted upon (pintores) is actually the grammatical subject of the sentence. Since pintores is plural, the verb must agree and also be plural (buscan). This is the standard way to express 'Painters are wanted' or 'Painters are sought' in Spanish.
Since painters are people, why is there no 'personal a' before pintores?
There are two reasons! First, the 'personal a' is only used for specific, identified people, whereas here they are looking for any unspecified painters. Second, the 'personal a' marks direct objects, but in this passive structure, pintores is the subject, not the object.
Why do we use para instead of por for 'for' in this sentence?
Is it possible to put the adjective nuevos before edificios?
It is grammatically possible, but placing nuevos after the noun is the standard way to classify it. Saying los edificios nuevos distinguishes the new buildings from older ones. If you put it before (los nuevos edificios), it would sound more poetic or subjective, emphasizing the 'newness' rather than just pointing out which buildings need painters.
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