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Necesito el destornillador para este tornillo.

Necesito el destornillador para este tornillo.
I need the screwdriver for this screw.
From Lesson 430:Basic Tools and DIY·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Necesito el destornillador para este tornillo.

Why do we use para instead of por in this sentence?
We use para because it indicates the purpose or intended use of an object. The screwdriver is needed specifically to work on this screw. Whenever you express what a tool or object is used for, para is the correct choice.
How does the word destornillador relate to tornillo?
They share the same root! Spanish builds the word for screwdriver by taking tornillo (screw), adding the prefix des- (meaning to undo or reverse), and ending with the suffix -ador (which indicates a tool or a doer). So a destornillador is literally an "unscrewer".
I often confuse este and esto. Why must it be este tornillo here?
Because tornillo is a specific masculine singular noun, it requires the matching masculine adjective este. You only use the neuter pronoun esto when referring to an abstract idea, an unknown object, or a general situation. Esto is never placed immediately before a noun.
Could I leave out the article and just say Necesito destornillador?
No, in Spanish you generally need an article here. Because you are talking about a specific tool for a specific job, you need the definite article el (the). If any screwdriver would do, you would use the indefinite article un (a), saying Necesito un destornillador.

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