Question 1

Why is it "las piernas" and not "sus piernas" if the translation says "her legs"?

Accepted Answer

In Spanish, when talking about body parts, you use the definite article (like el, la, los, or las) rather than a possessive adjective like sus. Because she is the one doing the action, it is already understood that she is bending her own legs.

Question 2

Could I use "dobla" instead of "flexiona" to say she bends her legs?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you could say dobla las piernas, as doblar generally means to bend or fold. However, flexionar is the specific verb used for bending joints, stretching muscles, or doing physical exercises, making it the most precise and natural choice in this context.

Question 3

I thought "despacio" meant "slow". Why does it translate to "slowly" here, and does it need to agree with anything?

Accepted Answer

Despacio is an adverb, which means it describes how an action is done (slowly). Because it is an adverb, it never changes its ending to match gender or number. You could also use lentamente, but despacio is very common in everyday spoken Spanish.

Question 4

Is "Ella" strictly necessary at the beginning of this sentence?

Accepted Answer

No, you could just say Flexiona las piernas muy despacio. Including Ella adds emphasis or provides clarity if the context doesn't make it obvious who is doing the bending, since flexiona could also mean "he bends" or "you (formal) bend".

Ella flexiona las piernas muy despacio.

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