Learn Spanish (Spain): Los españoles hacen muchos gestos cuando hablan. - Spaniards make a lot of gestures when they talk.

Los españoles hacen muchos gestos cuando hablan.

Spaniards make a lot of gestures when they talk.

Breakdown of Los españoles hacen muchos gestos cuando hablan.

Questions & Answers about Los españoles hacen muchos gestos cuando hablan.

Why do we need the article Los before españoles when the English translation just says Spaniards?

In Spanish, when you make a general statement about a whole group or category of people, things, or concepts, you must use the definite article (el, la, los, las). Since this sentence describes a general habit of Spaniards, Los is required.

We often say use gestures in English. Is hacer gestos the most natural way to express this in Spanish?

Yes, hacer gestos literally means to make gestures and is the standard phrasing in Spanish. You could also use the single verb gesticular (to gesticulate), making the sentence Los españoles gesticulan mucho cuando hablan.

Why is hablan in the indicative mood here? Doesn't cuando often trigger the subjunctive?

The word cuando only triggers the subjunctive when referring to a future or hypothetical event that hasn't happened yet. Because this sentence describes a factual, habitual action (what Spaniards generally do every time they talk), you must use the indicative mood (hablan).