Adjusting a Chair's Height | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Esta silla está demasiado baja.

   This chair is too low.

   Esta

   this

   silla

   chair

   está

   is

   demasiado

   too

   baja

   low

   More detail

   Esta is the feminine singular form of the demonstrative adjective/pronoun este. Here it modifies silla, so it agrees with that noun: esta silla = “this chair.” The masculine counterpart is este; plural forms include estas and estos. silla is a feminine singular noun meaning “chair.” Its plural is sillas. In Spanish, the demonstrative and adjective that modify it use feminine singular agreement: esta silla baja. Está is the third-person singular present form of estar, “to be.” Spanish uses estar here to describe the chair’s current condition or state. Its subject is esta silla; the verb form is third-person singular because that subject is singular. Example: La puerta está abierta. — “The door is open.” Demasiado is an adverb meaning “too,” expressing an excessive degree. It modifies the adjective baja, not the noun silla; the pattern is estar demasiado + adjective. Baja is the feminine singular form of the adjective bajo, “low.” It agrees with the feminine singular noun silla. The masculine singular form is bajo, and plural forms are bajos and bajas. Example: La mesa está demasiado baja. — “The table is too low.” Together, esta silla identifies the chair, está describes its current state, and demasiado baja says that its height is lower than suitable or wanted. The complete meaning is “This chair is too low.”

2. Puedes cambiar la altura.

   You can change the height.

   Puedes

   you can

   cambiar

   change

   altura

   height

   More detail

   Puedes is the second-person singular present form of poder (“can” or “be able to”). It is used when addressing one person informally with tú; the form for usted is puede. In puedes + infinitive, poder expresses ability or permission, while the following verb names the action. cambiar is an infinitive meaning “to change.” After a conjugated form of poder, the second verb remains in the infinitive: Puedes cambiar... = “You can change...” Its regular present-tense forms include cambio, cambias, and cambia. altura is a feminine noun meaning “height.” The definite article is therefore la: la altura. The phrase refers to the height as a measurable property; it does not itself specify a particular amount. Together, Puedes cambiar la altura means “You can change the height.” The pattern Puedes + infinitive + noun phrase is reusable for expressing that one person can perform an action, for example: Puedes ajustar la silla. — “You can adjust the chair.”

3. ¿Cómo hago eso?

   How do I do that?

   Cómo

   how

   hago

   I do

   eso

   that

   More detail

   Cómo means “how” here: it asks about the way or method for carrying out an action. In a direct question it is written with an accent; compare como without an accent, which has other uses, such as “as” or “like” in some contexts. hago is the first-person singular present form of hacer, “to do” or “to make.” The form identifies the speaker as the person who performs the action: yo hago. For example, ¿Cómo hago esto? means “How do I do this?” eso is the neuter demonstrative pronoun meaning “that.” It points to an action, situation, or other non-specified matter rather than naming a masculine or feminine noun. Its referent is understood from the situation; here, the fixed translation supports the general meaning “that,” and the surrounding context concerns an action involving changing the height. Together, ¿Cómo hago eso? asks for the method of carrying out the action referred to by eso: “How do I do that?” The question uses cómo for the method, hago for the speaker’s action, and eso for the action or matter being referred to.

4. Presiona el botón debajo del asiento.

   Press the button under the seat.

   Presiona

   press

   botón

   button

   debajo del

   under the

   asiento

   seat

   More detail

   Presiona is the affirmative command form for tú singular of presionar, “to press.” The base form is presionar; presiona can also be a present-tense form meaning “he/she presses,” but here the fixed translation identifies it as a command addressed to one person. Example: Presiona el botón. — “Press the button.” botón means “button.” Its plural is botones, with the written accent in singular botón marking the stressed final syllable; the plural no longer needs that accent. Example: El botón es rojo. — “The button is red.” debajo del means “under the.” debajo de is a location pattern meaning “under” or “below”; del is the contraction of de + el. The article el agrees with the masculine singular noun asiento that follows. Example: El libro está debajo de la mesa. — “The book is under the table.” asiento means “seat.” Its plural is asientos. In this sentence, it is the noun naming the reference point for the button’s location. Example: El asiento está vacío. — “The seat is empty.” Together, Presiona gives the action and its addressee, el botón identifies what to act on, and debajo del asiento locates that button under the seat. The complete utterance means: “Press the button under the seat.”

5. Eso está mejor. Gracias.

   That is better. Thank you.

   Eso

   That

   está

   is

   mejor

   better

   Gracias

   Thank you

   More detail

   Eso means “that” here. It is a neuter demonstrative pronoun, so it points to something understood from the context without specifying a masculine or feminine noun. Its exact referent is not uniquely stated. Compare the reusable pattern Eso está bien. — “That is fine.” está comes from estar and is the present-tense third-person singular form. With eso, it describes a current state or condition; estar is useful for states, while ser is used for identity or more inherent characterization. Example: La puerta está abierta. — “The door is open.” mejor means “better” in this sentence. It is the irregular comparative associated with bueno: bueno → mejor. As a comparative adjective, it can also have the plural form mejores; the form mejor itself does not show masculine or feminine gender here. In está mejor, it describes an improved condition. Gracias is the conventional Spanish expression “Thank you.” It is used independently as a polite acknowledgment. Example: Gracias por la ayuda. — “Thank you for the help.” Together, Eso está mejor says that the understood situation or condition is now better, and Gracias adds the speaker’s thanks. The complete utterance therefore means “That is better. Thank you.”

6. Dime si todavía no está bien.

   Tell me if it is still not right.

   Dime

   tell me

   si

   if

   todavía

   still

   no está bien

   is not right

   More detail

   Dime means “tell me” here. It is the affirmative command form of decir for tú (singular informal “you”), with the unstressed indirect-object pronoun me attached: di + me → dime. A reusable pattern is Dime ... (“Tell me ...”). si introduces the information being requested: “if/whether.” It is written without an accent in this use. Do not confuse it with sí (“yes” or the reflexive pronoun “oneself,” depending on context). todavía means “still.” It indicates that the situation described afterward continues to hold at the relevant time. For example: ¿Todavía está aquí? — “Is he/she/it still here?” no está bien means “is not right” in this sentence. Está is a form of estar, used here for the subject’s current state; bien is an adverb meaning “well” or, in this evaluation, “right/correct.” No negates the expression. The subject is omitted in Spanish, and the supplied translation identifies it only as “it,” without specifying a more particular referent. Together, Dime si asks the listener to report whether the following situation holds. Todavía adds that the negative state continues, and no está bien says that it is not right. The whole utterance is therefore: “Tell me if it is still not right.”