Breakdown of Él silencia el móvil en el trabajo.
él
he / him (after a preposition)
en
in / on / by (means of transport) / about (after pensar)
el trabajo
the work
el móvil
the mobile phone
silenciar
to mute
Questions & Answers about Él silencia el móvil en el trabajo.
Why is there an 'el' in 'en el trabajo' when English just says 'at work'?
In Spanish, locations related to institutions like work, school, or church usually require a definite article like el or la, whereas English leaves it out. Therefore, 'at work' is translated as en el trabajo.
Is 'silenciar' the standard way to say 'to mute' a device?
I previously learned 'celular' for cell phone. Is 'móvil' specifically used in Spain?
Exactly. In Spain, a mobile phone is called el móvil. In most of Latin America, you will hear el celular instead. They are perfectly interchangeable depending on the region you are in.
Could we drop the 'Él' at the start of the sentence?
Yes, you could just say Silencia el móvil en el trabajo. Spanish often drops subject pronouns. However, since silencia can mean 'he mutes', 'she mutes', or 'you (formal) mute', keeping Él clarifies exactly who is doing the action, or simply adds emphasis.
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