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Estos zapatos son pequeños; necesito un número más.

Estos zapatos son pequeños; necesito un número más.
These shoes are small; I need one size bigger.
From Lesson 73:In the shop: shoe sizes, light colours and the till (el número, claro, la caja)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Estos zapatos son pequeños; necesito un número más.

Why is the plural of "este" (this) "estos" and not "estes"?
It is a common exception that trips up many learners! The singular masculine word for "this" is este, but its plural is estos. The word estes does not exist in Spanish.
Why does the sentence use "son" (ser) instead of "están" (estar) for being small?
The verb ser is used here because being a small size is a permanent, physical characteristic of these specific shoes. If you wanted to say they specifically fit you too small on your feet right now, you could use estar, such as in the common phrase me están pequeños.
I thought the word for "size" was "talla". Why does the sentence use "número"?
In Spain, talla is used for clothing sizes, like shirts, dresses, or trousers. However, número (which literally means "number") is used specifically for shoe sizes.
How does "un número más" translate to "one size bigger"?
In Spanish, you often use más (more) immediately after a noun to indicate an additional amount. Literally, un número más translates to "one number more", which is the most natural way to ask for the next shoe size up.

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