Choosing a Place to Sit | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. ¿Dónde nos sentamos?

   Where should we sit?

   ¿Dónde

   where

   nos sentamos

   we sit down / we take a seat

   More detail

   ¿Dónde asks for a place. The accent marks dónde as the interrogative form in a direct question; compare donde without an accent in a non-question clause, such as El lugar donde nos sentamos (“The place where we sit”). nos sentamos is the first-person plural present form of the reflexive verb sentarse (“to sit down” or “to take a seat”). nos shows that the action involves “us,” and sentamos agrees with a “we” subject. In this question, the present form is used naturally to ask for a decision or suggestion about where we should sit. The form can have other readings in other contexts, but the fixed translation selects this one here. Example: Nos sentamos aquí. — “Let’s sit here.” Together, ¿Dónde + nos sentamos asks for the location for the speakers to take their seats: “Where should we sit?”

2. La mesa de la esquina está en un lugar tranquilo.

   The corner table is in a quiet spot.

   mesa

   table

   esquina

   corner

   está

   is located

   lugar

   place; spot

   tranquilo

   quiet

   More detail

   mesa means “table” here. It is a feminine noun: la mesa is singular, while las mesas is plural. In the source, la marks the noun phrase as definite; the noun itself is mesa. esquina means “corner.” It is a feminine noun, as shown by the agreeing article in la esquina. The sequence de la esquina identifies which table: “of the corner” or, naturally in English, “the corner table.” está is the third-person singular present form of estar. Estar is used here for location: the table is situated in a particular place. Compare es, the third-person singular present form of ser, which is used for identity or characteristic descriptions. Example: El libro está en la mesa. — “The book is on the table.” lugar means “place” or “spot.” It is a masculine singular noun, as shown by un lugar. The indefinite article presents the place as not previously specified; it does not by itself assert a numerical count. tranquilo means “quiet” in this sentence. It is the masculine singular form of the adjective because it describes the masculine singular noun lugar: un lugar tranquilo. The feminine singular form is tranquila, as in una calle tranquila; plural forms are tranquilos and tranquilas. The sentence combines la mesa de la esquina (“the corner table”) with está en un lugar tranquilo (“is in a quiet spot”). Together, these parts state that the corner table is located in a quiet spot. The pattern estar en + place is useful for describing where a person or thing is: La silla está en la cocina. — “The chair is in the kitchen.”

3. Esta mesa también tiene buena luz.

   This table has nice light too.

   Esta

   this

   mesa

   table

   también

   also; too

   tiene

   has

   buena

   good; nice

   luz

   light

   More detail

   Esta is the feminine singular form of the demonstrative adjective/pronoun este. Here it modifies mesa, so it agrees with that feminine singular noun: esta mesa = “this table.” The corresponding forms include este (masculine singular), estos (masculine plural), and estas (feminine plural). Example: Esta silla es cómoda. — “This chair is comfortable.” mesa means “table.” It is a feminine noun, as shown by the article and adjective in combinations such as la mesa and una mesa. Example: La mesa está cerca. — “The table is nearby.” también adds another true point: “also” or “too.” It does not replace the earlier information; it adds this table as having the stated quality as well. Example: Yo también leo aquí. — “I read here too.” tiene is the third-person singular present form of tener, “to have.” The subject here is singular (esta mesa), so Spanish uses tiene; tienen is the present form for a plural subject. Example: La habitación tiene una ventana. — “The room has a window.” buena is the feminine singular form of the adjective bueno, meaning “good” or, in this context, “nice.” It agrees with the feminine singular noun luz: buena luz. Before a masculine singular noun, bueno commonly shortens to buen, as in un buen lugar; this shortening does not apply to buena before a feminine noun. Example: Hay buena música aquí. — “There is nice music here.” luz means “light.” It is a feminine noun: la luz, buena luz. In this utterance, it refers to the quality of the illumination associated with the table, not to a light fixture specifically. Together, Esta mesa identifies the table, también adds it to something already being considered, and tiene buena luz states that it has nice lighting. The whole utterance means: “This table has nice light too.”

4. Esta mesa sería mejor para leer.

   This table would be better for reading.

   Esta

   this

   mesa

   table

   sería

   would be

   mejor

   better

   leer

   to read

   More detail

   Esta points to the table identified in the fixed translation. It is the feminine singular demonstrative, matching mesa: esta mesa = “this table.” The corresponding masculine singular form is este, as in este libro = “this book.” mesa means “table” here. It is a feminine singular noun, so the demonstrative is esta, not este. Example: La mesa es grande. — “The table is large.” sería is the third-person singular conditional form of ser (“to be”). The conditional presents the quality as hypothetical or dependent on a comparison: “would be.” Useful forms include es (“is”) and sería (“would be”). Example: La mesa sería útil. — “The table would be useful.” mejor means “better” here and describes the table’s suitability for the stated activity. It is the comparative form related to bueno (“good”): bueno → mejor. As an adjective, mejor does not change for masculine versus feminine; number can matter in other uses, such as mejores for a plural noun. Example: Esta opción es mejor. — “This option is better.” leer is the infinitive “to read.” After para, an infinitive commonly expresses purpose or intended use: para leer = “for reading” or “to read.” Example: Tengo tiempo para leer. — “I have time to read.” Together, Esta mesa identifies the table, sería mejor says that it would be the better option, and para leer specifies the purpose or activity. The whole utterance therefore means: “This table would be better for reading.”

5. ¿Son cómodas estas sillas?

   Are these chairs comfortable?

   Son

   are

   cómodas

   comfortable

   estas

   these

   sillas

   chairs

   More detail

   Son is the present form of ser for third-person plural subjects. Here it agrees with sillas, so son cómodas means that the chairs are comfortable. The choice is not based on son alone: the subject is plural, and ser links it to the descriptive adjective. cómodas means “comfortable” here. It is the feminine plural form of cómodo, agreeing with the feminine plural noun sillas: cómodo, cómoda, cómodos, cómodas. Example: Estos zapatos son cómodos. — “These shoes are comfortable.” estas means “these” and is the feminine plural form of the demonstrative. It agrees with sillas in gender and number. The related forms are esta “this” for feminine singular and estas “these” for feminine plural. Example: Estas mesas son grandes. — “These tables are large.” sillas means “chairs” here. Its singular form is silla; the plural is formed as sillas. The noun is feminine, which is why the phrase uses estas and cómodas. Example: La silla es cómoda. — “The chair is comfortable.” Together, estas sillas means “these chairs,” and son cómodas describes them as comfortable. The question marks and interrogative intonation turn the statement into a yes-or-no question: ¿Son cómodas estas sillas? — “Are these chairs comfortable?”

6. Me parecen cómodas.

   They feel fine to me.

   Me

   to me

   parecen

   seem

   cómodas

   comfortable

   More detail

   Me marks the person to whom the impression applies: “to me.” It is an unstressed indirect-object pronoun. Other forms include te (“to you”), le (“to him/her/you formal”), and nos (“to us”). parecen is the third-person plural present form of parecer, “to seem” or “to appear.” In the pattern A alguien le parece(n) ..., the thing being assessed is grammatical subject, while the person’s reaction is introduced by an indirect-object pronoun. The plural form parecen agrees with a plural subject. For example: Me parecen útiles. — “They seem useful to me.” cómodas means “comfortable” here. It is the feminine plural form of the adjective cómodo; it agrees with the plural feminine subject understood from the preceding question, estas sillas (“these chairs”). The masculine singular, feminine singular, and masculine plural forms are cómodo, cómoda, and cómodos. Together, Me + parecen + cómodas means “They seem comfortable to me,” rendered in the fixed translation as “They feel fine to me.” The omitted subject is understood from the context as the chairs being discussed; the sentence expresses the speaker’s assessment of them.

7. Sentémonos a esta mesa.

   Let's sit at this table.

   Sentémonos

   Let’s sit down

   esta

   this

   mesa

   table

   More detail

   Sentémonos is the affirmative command for nosotros from reflexive sentarse: “let’s sit down.” The ending -nos includes the speaker and the other person or people addressed. The accent mark keeps the pronunciation when the pronoun is attached. Compare sentarse (“to sit down”) with non-reflexive sentar (“to seat someone”): Sentémonos means that the group itself should sit. esta means “this” and is the feminine singular form of the demonstrative. It agrees with mesa, which is feminine singular. The related forms are este for masculine singular and estas for feminine plural; for example, esta silla means “this chair.” mesa means “table.” In a esta mesa, the preposition a links the action to the location or destination: “at this table.” Together, Sentémonos a esta mesa means “Let’s sit at this table.”

8. Pondré nuestras bolsas debajo.

   I'll put our bags under it.

   Pondré

   I will put

   nuestras

   our

   bolsas

   bags

   debajo

   underneath; below

   More detail

   Pondré is the first-person singular future of poner (“to put”): pondré = “I will put.” The stem changes from pon- to pondr- in the future, and the written accent marks the final stressed syllable. Example: Pondré el libro aquí. — “I will put the book here.” nuestras means “our” here and agrees with bolsas in feminine plural form. The possessive forms are nuestro, nuestra, nuestros, and nuestras; the choice reflects the gender and number of the possessed noun, not the number of owners. Example: Nuestras llaves están aquí. — “Our keys are here.” bolsas is the feminine plural noun “bags.” Its singular is bolsa; the plural adds -s: bolsa → bolsas. Example: Tengo dos bolsas. — “I have two bags.” debajo means “underneath” or “below.” In this sentence, its complement is understood from the intended translation as “under it”; Spanish can also make the reference explicit with debajo de ..., as in Pondré las bolsas debajo de la mesa. — “I will put the bags under the table.” Together, Pondré nuestras bolsas debajo means “I will put our bags under it.” Pondré supplies the speaker’s future action, nuestras bolsas is what will be put, and debajo gives its location, with the object of “under” left unspoken in the Spanish sentence but identified in the fixed translation.