Breakdown of ¡Brindemos por la abuela!
la abuela
the grandmother
por
for / by / through / in (during a part of the day)
brindar
to drink a toast (raise a glass)
Questions & Answers about ¡Brindemos por la abuela!
Why does this sentence use brindemos instead of vamos a brindar for "let's toast"?
Brindemos is the affirmative nosotros (we) command form, which is built using the present subjunctive. While you will often hear vamos a brindar in casual speech to mean "let's toast," using this subjunctive command form is the classic, slightly more formal way to express "let's do something" and is very common in exclamations and toasts.
Why do we use por here instead of para or a to say "to" grandma?
Does the verb brindar only mean "to toast"?
While toasting with a drink is its most common everyday meaning, brindar can also mean "to offer" or "to provide." For example, brindar una oportunidad means to offer an opportunity. Here, the exclamation and the word por make it clear it is a toast.
Why is there a la before abuela? We just say "to grandma" in English.
In Spanish, you generally need a definite article (el or la) when talking about a person using a title or family role, rather than talking directly to them. If you were addressing her directly, you would just say ¡Abuela!, but since you are talking about her as the subject of the toast, she requires the la.
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