Finding the Event Registration Desk | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Este edificio se siente muy limpio por dentro.

   This building feels very clean inside.

   Este

   this

   edificio

   building

   se siente

   feels

   muy

   very

   limpio

   clean

   por dentro

   inside

   More detail

   Este means “this” and is a masculine singular demonstrative. It agrees with the masculine singular noun edificio: este edificio. Other forms include esta for a feminine singular noun and estos/estas for plural nouns. edificio means “building.” It is a masculine noun, so the demonstrative and adjective in this sentence also appear in masculine singular forms. Example: Este edificio es nuevo. — “This building is new.” se siente comes from sentirse, “to feel” or “to seem/feel in a particular state.” Here it is the third-person singular present form, referring to edificio: “it feels.” The pronoun se is part of this pronominal verb here; it is not the direct translation of a separate English word. Compare sentir (“to feel something”) with sentirse (“to feel oneself/in a state”). muy is an adverb meaning “very.” It intensifies the following adjective: muy limpio, “very clean.” limpio is the masculine singular form of the adjective limpio, “clean.” It agrees with edificio, not with muy; muy does not change form. The feminine singular form is limpia, and plural forms are limpios and limpias. Example: La sala está limpia. — “The room is clean.” por dentro is a fixed expression meaning “inside” or “on the inside.” It specifies the interior aspect of what feels clean. The sentence does not say that the building is clean outside. Together, Este edificio identifies a particular building, se siente muy limpio says that it gives the impression of being very clean, and por dentro limits that description to its interior. The complete meaning is: “This building feels very clean inside.”

2. El techo alto hace que el vestíbulo se sienta amplio.

   The high ceiling makes the lobby feel open.

   techo

   ceiling

   alto

   high

   hace que

   makes ...

   vestíbulo

   lobby

   se sienta

   feel

   amplio

   spacious; open

   More detail

   techo means “ceiling” here. Its base form is techo; the plural is techos. In el techo, el identifies it as masculine singular, and the adjective alto agrees with it. alto means “high” in this sentence. It is the masculine singular form of alto, matching techo; the feminine singular form is alta, as in una pared alta (“a high wall”). The comparison is más alto (“higher/taller”). hace que is the reusable pattern hacer que + subjunctive, meaning that one situation causes or produces another. hace is the present-tense third-person singular form of hacer, “to make/do.” Example: La luz hace que la sala parezca grande. — “The light makes the room seem large.” vestíbulo means “lobby” or “entrance hall.” Its plural is vestíbulos. In this sentence, it is the place whose appearance or feeling is described by the following clause. se sienta comes from sentirse, “to feel.” It is the present subjunctive, third-person singular form, used after hace que: hace que el vestíbulo se sienta... The reflexive se is part of sentirse; it is not the object of hacer. Example: Quiero que el lugar se sienta tranquilo. — “I want the place to feel calm.” amplio means “spacious” or “open” here. It is masculine singular and agrees with vestíbulo. The feminine form is amplia, and the comparative is más amplio (“more spacious”). Together, El techo alto gives the cause: “the high ceiling.” hace que introduces its effect, and el vestíbulo se sienta amplio says that the lobby feels spacious or open. The whole utterance means: “The high ceiling makes the lobby feel open.”

3. Busquemos el mostrador de inscripción del evento.

   Let's find the event desk for registration.

   Busquemos

   Let’s look for

   mostrador

   desk; counter

   inscripción

   registration

   evento

   event

   More detail

   Busquemos is the first-person plural form used here to propose a joint action: “let’s look for.” It comes from buscar; the present indicative is buscamos, while busquemos is the present subjunctive form used in this affirmative exhortation. Example: Busquemos una solución. — “Let’s look for a solution.” mostrador means a desk or counter where a service is provided. Its plural is mostradores. Example: El mostrador está a la entrada. — “The desk is at the entrance.” inscripción means registration or enrolment. It is a feminine noun, and its plural is inscripciones. In mostrador de inscripción, de links the desk with the service or purpose of registration; it does not mean that the desk itself is registration. Example: La inscripción termina el viernes. — “Registration ends on Friday.” evento means event. It is a masculine noun; its plural is eventos. In del evento, del is the contraction of de and el, meaning “of the event” here. Example: El evento empieza a las nueve. — “The event starts at nine.” Together, Busquemos el mostrador de inscripción del evento means “Let’s find the event desk for registration.” The verb proposes that the speaker and the listener or listeners search together. The noun phrase identifies the desk by its registration function and connects it specifically with the event.

4. Voy a consultar el directorio del edificio junto a la pared.

   I'll check the building directory by the wall.

   Voy a

   I’m going to

   consultar

   check

   directorio

   directory

   edificio

   building

   junto a

   next to

   pared

   wall

   More detail

   Voy a is the first-person singular form of ir followed by a. With an infinitive, ir a + infinitive expresses a planned or imminent action: Voy a leer means “I’m going to read.” Here, voy identifies the speaker as the person who will act; the construction does not itself say how soon the action will happen. consultar is an infinitive meaning “to check” or “to consult.” After voy a, the verb stays in the infinitive: Voy a consultar, not a form marked for another tense. Example: Voy a consultar el mapa. — “I’m going to check the map.” directorio is a masculine singular noun meaning “directory.” Its plural is directorios. In this utterance, it refers to the directory being checked. The article el agrees with this singular masculine noun: el directorio. edificio is a masculine singular noun meaning “building”; its plural is edificios. The phrase del edificio means “of the building” or, in this context, “the building’s.” del is the contraction of de + el. junto a is a location expression meaning “next to” or “by.” It introduces the place relation in junto a la pared. Example: La silla está junto a la mesa. — “The chair is next to the table.” pared is a feminine singular noun meaning “wall.” Its plural is paredes, and the feminine singular article is la: la pared. Together, Voy a consultar gives “I’m going to check,” el directorio del edificio identifies what will be checked—the building directory—and junto a la pared places it by the wall. The complete meaning is: “I’ll check the building directory by the wall.”

5. Dice que el mostrador del evento está arriba.

   It says the event desk is upstairs.

   Dice

   says

   mostrador

   desk; counter

   evento

   event

   está

   is located

   arriba

   upstairs; above

   More detail

   Dice is the third-person singular present form of decir, “to say” or “to tell.” Here it conveys “it says”; the fixed translation identifies the source as “it,” without specifying what that source is. Compare digo (“I say”) and dicen (“they say”). mostrador is a noun meaning a desk or counter, especially a service or reception counter. Its plural is mostradores. In el mostrador, el marks this noun as masculine singular; del evento is de + el evento, meaning “of the event” or “for the event.” evento means “event.” The phrase del evento identifies which desk or counter is meant: the one associated with the event. Its plural is eventos. está is the third-person singular present form of estar, “to be.” Spanish uses estar for a location here: El mostrador está... means “The desk is located...” The accent distinguishes está from esta, the demonstrative adjective meaning “this” before a feminine noun. For example, La entrada está aquí means “The entrance is here.” arriba is an adverb meaning “upstairs” or “above.” In this sentence it gives the desk’s location, so está arriba means “is upstairs.” Together, Dice que introduces the content of what is being said: “It says that...” Then el mostrador del evento names the event desk, and está arriba locates it upstairs. The whole utterance means: “It says the event desk is upstairs.”

6. ¿Tomamos la escalera mecánica o las escaleras?

   Should we take the escalator or the stairs?

   Tomamos

   shall we take

   la escalera

   stairway / ladder

   mecánica

   mechanical

   las escaleras

   the stairs

   More detail

   Tomamos is the first-person plural present form of tomar (“to take”). In this question, it proposes a shared action: “Shall we take…?” The form includes the speaker and at least one other person. Compare tomamos (“we take / shall we take”) with toman (“they take” or “you all take”). la escalera contains the feminine singular article la and the singular noun escalera. This noun can mean a stairway or a ladder. Here, its precise meaning comes from the following adjective: la escalera mecánica means “the escalator.” The article and noun are singular because this option refers to one escalator. mecánica is the feminine singular form of the adjective mecánico, agreeing with escalera. In this combination, it identifies a mechanically powered stairway, that is, an escalator. The adjective changes for gender and number: mecánico, mecánica, mecánicos, mecánicas. las escaleras uses the feminine plural article las with the plural noun escaleras. Here it means “the stairs,” presenting stairs as the other option. The singular is la escalera; the plural is las escaleras. The question joins two alternatives with o (“or”): la escalera mecánica versus las escaleras. Thus ¿Tomamos la escalera mecánica o las escaleras? asks whether the group should take the escalator or the stairs. This is a natural way to suggest a shared choice.

7. Tomemos las escaleras; están aquí mismo.

   Let's take the stairs; they are right here.

   Tomemos

   let’s take

   escaleras

   stairs

   están

   are located

   aquí mismo

   right here

   More detail

   Tomemos comes from tomar (“to take”). Here it is the first-person plural present subjunctive form used as an affirmative suggestion involving the speaker and the listener: “let’s take.” Compare tomamos (“we take” or, in a question, “are we taking?”) with tomemos, which presents the action as a proposal. Example: Tomemos el autobús. — “Let’s take the bus.” escaleras is the plural noun “stairs.” Its singular is escalera; in the supplied context, plural las escaleras is contrasted with singular la escalera mecánica (“the escalator”). Here, las escaleras is the thing being proposed as the route to take. Example: Las escaleras están al fondo. — “The stairs are at the back.” están is the present-tense third-person plural form of estar (“to be”). Estar is used here for location, and están has plural agreement with escaleras. Example: Las llaves están aquí. — “The keys are here.” aquí mismo means “right here.” aquí means “here,” while mismo strengthens the location to emphasize exactly this place. In this expression, mismo is part of an adverbial intensifying expression; it is not agreeing with escaleras and does not need to be plural. Example: La parada está aquí mismo. — “The stop is right here.” Together, Tomemos las escaleras proposes taking the stairs, and están aquí mismo says that they are right here. The complete meaning is: “Let’s take the stairs; they are right here.”

8. Las escaleras de madera hacen que el lugar se sienta acogedor.

   The wooden stairs make the place feel warm.

   escaleras

   stairs

   madera

   wood

   hacen

   make

   lugar

   place

   se sienta

   feel

   acogedor

   warm and inviting

   More detail

   escaleras means “stairs” here. It is the plural of escalera, a feminine noun, so the plural article is las. The preceding context confirms that these are the stairs being referred to. Example: La escalera es estrecha. — “The staircase is narrow.” madera means “wood.” In de madera, the noun phrase describes what the stairs are made of: “wooden.” de is the reusable pattern for material or composition. Example: una mesa de madera — “a wooden table.” hacen comes from hacer (“to make” or “to do”). Here it is the present-tense third-person plural form, agreeing with Las escaleras: “make.” In the pattern hacer que + clause, Spanish uses que to introduce the result or effect caused by something. Example: Las ventanas hacen que la habitación sea luminosa. — “The windows make the room bright.” lugar means “place” or “location.” It is a masculine singular noun, which is why the sentence later uses the masculine adjective form acogedor. Example: Este lugar es tranquilo. — “This place is quiet.” se sienta is the third-person singular present subjunctive form of sentirse, “to feel” or “to feel oneself to be.” The se belongs to this pronominal verb, and sienta is the form used after hacer que to express the effect caused by the stairs. The singular subject of this clause is el lugar, not las escaleras. Example: Quiero que el lugar se sienta cómodo. — “I want the place to feel comfortable.” acogedor means “welcoming,” “cozy,” or “warm and inviting” in this context. It is a masculine singular adjective agreeing with el lugar; its feminine singular form is acogedora, and its plural forms are acogedores and acogedoras according to the noun described. Example: La sala es acogedora. — “The living room is cozy.” Together, Las escaleras de madera is the subject: “the wooden stairs.” hacen que introduces the caused effect, and el lugar se sienta acogedor says that the place feels welcoming. Thus the complete utterance means: “The wooden stairs make the place feel warm.”