Comparing Jackets Before Buying | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Estas dos chaquetas se ven muy parecidas.

   These two jackets look very similar.

   Estas

   these

   dos

   two

   chaquetas

   jackets

   se ven

   look; appear

   muy

   very

   parecidas

   similar

   More detail

   Estas means “these” and is a feminine plural demonstrative. It agrees with the feminine plural noun chaquetas; its form also contrasts with singular esta (“this”) and masculine plural estos (“these”). dos states the number two. Unlike an indefinite article, it explicitly gives a numeric count. Example: dos camisas means “two shirts.” chaquetas means “jackets.” Its singular base form is chaqueta; the final -s marks the plural here. The feminine form is relevant to the agreement of estas and parecidas. se ven is the third-person plural present form of the pronominal verb verse, used here for appearance: “look” or “appear.” In this use, se is part of the verb construction; the sentence does not say that the jackets see themselves. The plural form ven matches the plural subject estas dos chaquetas. Example: Las fotos se ven claras means “The photos look clear.” muy means “very” and intensifies the following adjective. It does not change for number or gender. Example: muy grandes means “very large.” parecidas means “similar” in this sentence. It is the feminine plural form of parecido, agreeing with chaquetas. The masculine plural form is parecidos, while the feminine singular form is parecida. Together, Estas dos chaquetas identifies two jackets, and se ven muy parecidas says that they appear very similar. The complete meaning is: “These two jackets look very similar.”

2. Vamos a comparar la tela y el ajuste.

   Let's compare the fabric and fit.

   Vamos a

   let’s

   comparar

   compare

   tela

   fabric

   ajuste

   fit

   More detail

   Vamos a is a reusable way to express an action that the speaker and at least one other person are going to do: vamos is the first-person plural present form of ir (“to go”), followed by a and an infinitive. Pattern: vamos a + infinitive. Example: Vamos a estudiar. — “We’re going to study.” comparar means “to compare” and is in the infinitive, the form used after vamos a. The same verb can be used with two things: Comparo los precios. — “I compare the prices.” la tela refers here to the fabric of the item. Tela is a feminine noun, so it appears with the feminine singular article la. Example: La tela es suave. — “The fabric is soft.” el ajuste means the fit, or how well a garment fits. Ajuste is a masculine noun, so it appears with the masculine singular article el. This noun is different from the verb ajustar, “to adjust” or “to fit.” Example: El ajuste es cómodo. — “The fit is comfortable.” Together, Vamos a comparar la tela y el ajuste means “Let’s compare the fabric and fit.” The pattern vamos a + comparar presents the comparison as an action the speakers are going to carry out, while la tela y el ajuste names the two aspects being compared.

3. Esta se siente ligera.

   This one feels light.

   Esta

   this one

   se siente

   feels

   ligera

   light

   More detail

   Esta means “this one” here. It is a feminine singular demonstrative used on its own, so the noun it stands for is understood rather than repeated. Its form is feminine singular; este is the corresponding masculine singular form, and estas is feminine plural. The supplied sentence identifies the item only as “this one,” so the form alone does not establish a specific noun. se siente comes from sentirse, “to feel” or “to seem by touch.” Se is part of this pronominal verb pattern here, and siente is the present-tense third-person singular form of sentir: sentirse → se siente. With an adjective, sentirse + adjective describes how something feels: La tela se siente suave. — “The fabric feels soft.” This differs from sentir algo, which means to feel something directly, as in Siento el frío. — “I feel the cold.” ligera means “light” here, describing the understood feminine singular item. It is the feminine singular form of the adjective ligero; the masculine singular form is ligero, and plural forms are ligeras and ligeros according to the noun or understood referent. For example, La bolsa es ligera. — “The bag is light.” Together, Esta identifies one item, se siente describes its perceived quality, and ligera supplies that quality with matching feminine singular agreement: “This one feels light.”

4. La tela parece fina.

   The fabric seems thin.

   tela

   fabric

   parece

   seems

   fina

   thin

   More detail

   tela means “fabric” here. It is a feminine singular noun, so words that describe it can agree with it in the feminine singular: la tela fina (“the thin fabric”). The plural is telas; a useful related material word is tejido, which can also mean “fabric” in some contexts but is a different masculine noun. parece is the third-person singular present form of parecer (“to seem” or “to appear”). With a singular subject, use parece; with a plural subject, use parecen: Las telas parecen finas (“The fabrics seem thin”). The pattern parecer + adjective expresses an appearance or impression rather than a direct assertion. fina means “thin” in this sentence and describes tela. It is the feminine singular form of fino: fino for a masculine singular noun, fina for a feminine singular noun, finos for masculine plural, and finas for feminine plural. For comparison, más fina means “thinner,” while más resistente in the surrounding context means “more resistant” and uses a different adjective. Together, La tela parece fina means “The fabric seems thin.” La tela is the singular subject, parece presents the impression, and fina describes the fabric with matching feminine singular agreement.

5. La otra se siente más resistente y más abrigada.

   The other one feels sturdier and warmer.

   La otra

   the other one

   se siente

   feels

   más resistente

   sturdier; more durable

   más abrigada

   warmer

   More detail

   La otra means “the other one.” otra is the feminine singular form of otro; it agrees with an omitted feminine singular noun, while la is the feminine singular definite article. The sentence does not state that noun explicitly, so learn the reusable pattern el/la otro(a) for “the other one,” with the form matching the omitted noun. Example: Quiero la otra. — “I want the other one.” se siente is the third-person singular present form of the pronominal verb sentirse here: “feels.” It presents a quality as an impression or sensation of the subject. Example: La chaqueta se siente suave. — “The jacket feels soft.” más resistente means “sturdier” or “more durable.” resistente is the adjective being compared; its base form is already resistente, and it does not change for masculine or feminine gender. The pattern más + adjective forms a comparative: más resistente = “more durable.” Example: Este material es más resistente. — “This material is more durable.” más abrigada means “warmer” in the sense of providing more protection from cold. abrigada is the feminine singular form of abrigado, agreeing with the same feminine singular subject understood in la otra. Its comparative form is más abrigada; the word carrying the gender marking is abrigada, not más. Example: La chaqueta es más abrigada. — “The jacket is warmer.” Together, se siente más resistente y más abrigada says that the other item gives the impression of being both sturdier and warmer. The two más phrases are coordinated: más resistente and más abrigada. Thus the whole utterance is: “The other one feels sturdier and warmer.”

6. Esa podría ser mejor para el uso diario.

   That might be better for everyday use.

   Esa

   that one

   podría

   might; could

   ser

   be

   mejor

   better

   uso

   use

   diario

   everyday; daily

   More detail

   Esa means “that one” here. It is a feminine singular demonstrative, so it refers to a feminine singular item understood from the context; the sentence itself does not name that item. Demonstratives change with the referent: ese is masculine singular, while esas and esos are plural. podría is a form of poder meaning “might” or “could” here. The conditional form presents the judgment as a possibility rather than a certainty. A useful pattern is podría + infinitive: Podría funcionar. — “It might work.” ser is the infinitive “to be.” It follows podría because modal verbs such as poder combine with an infinitive: podría ser means “might be.” mejor is the comparative form meaning “better.” It can compare an option with another option without stating the comparison explicitly. Its base form is bueno (“good”); mejor is the usual comparative form, not normally más bueno for this meaning. uso is the noun “use” or “usage.” In para el uso diario, it names the purpose for which something is suitable. The related verb is usar, “to use,” but uso in this sentence is a noun. diario is the adjective “everyday” or “daily.” It modifies uso, so it is masculine singular like that noun. The feminine singular form is diaria, as in rutina diaria (“daily routine”). Together, Esa identifies one option, podría ser mejor presents it as a possible better choice, and para el uso diario specifies the purpose: “That one might be better for everyday use.”

7. Pruébatela primero y ve cómo se siente.

   Try it on first and see how it feels.

   Pruébatela

   try it on

   primero

   first

   ve

   see

   se siente

   feels

   More detail

   Pruébatela is an affirmative command addressed to one person with tú: prueba comes from probar, and the attached te plus la gives the reusable pattern pruéba-te-la. In this sentence, probarse means “try on,” while la is a feminine singular direct-object clitic referring to the item being tried on. The written accent keeps the stress of the command after the clitics are attached. Example: Pruébatelo. — “Try it on,” with lo used for a masculine singular item. primero is an adverb meaning “first.” It places the trying-on action before the next action in the sentence. ve is the affirmative tú command of ver, “see.” Here it introduces the next thing the listener should do: ve cómo... (“see how…”). Do not confuse it with voy, “I go,” or ves, “you see” in a statement or question. se siente comes from sentirse, “to feel.” siente is the present-tense third-person singular form of sentir; se belongs to the pronominal verb sentirse. In this sentence, the item is what has the resulting sensation, expressed in English as “how it feels.” cómo has an accent because it introduces an indirect question about the manner or sensation. Example: Quiero saber cómo se siente. — “I want to know how it feels.” Together, Pruébatela primero means “Try it on first,” and ve cómo se siente adds “and see how it feels.” The complete utterance is therefore “Try it on first and see how it feels.”

8. Me probaré las dos antes de decidir.

   I will try both before I decide.

   Me probaré

   I will try on

   las dos

   both

   antes de

   before

   decidir

   decide

   More detail

   Me probaré means “I will try on.” The verb is probarse when the thing is clothing or another item worn on the body; here me is the reflexive pronoun referring to the speaker, and probaré is the first-person singular simple future of probar. The future form expresses the speaker’s later action: me probaré = “I will try it/them on.” In another context, probar can mean “to try,” “to test,” or “to taste,” so the object and context determine the sense. Las dos means “both,” with feminine plural agreement. Las is the feminine plural definite article, and dos identifies the number as two; together they form the feminine plural direct object, with the noun understood from context. The phrase itself does not name those items. Compare los dos for two masculine or mixed-gender items when Spanish uses the masculine plural form. Antes de introduces an action that happens earlier than another action. It is followed here by the infinitive decidir, rather than a conjugated verb. A reusable pattern is antes de + infinitive: Antes de salir, cierro la puerta. — “Before leaving, I close the door.” Decidir is the infinitive “to decide.” In this sentence, its understood subject is the same speaker as in me probaré, so the meaning is “before I decide.” The conjugated first-person form would be decido when a finite verb is needed: Decido después. — “I decide later.” Together, me probaré + las dos gives “I will try both on,” and antes de decidir places that action before the speaker’s decision. The complete meaning is: “I will try both before I decide.”

9. Así será más fácil elegir.

   That should make the choice easier.

   Así

   that way

   será

   will be

   más fácil

   easier

   elegir

   to choose

   More detail

   Así means “that way” or “in that manner.” Here it refers to the way of proceeding described by the surrounding context, without naming a separate action. It is a useful adverb for linking a method or arrangement to its result. Example: Hazlo así. — “Do it this way.” Será is the third-person singular future form of ser, “to be.” Here, the infinitive elegir functions as the subject, so the verb is in the third-person singular: Elegir será más fácil. — “Choosing will be easier.” The future presents this result as expected or projected; the fixed translation expresses that as “should make ...”. Más fácil means “easier.” Fácil is the adjective, and más forms its comparative: fácil = “easy,” más fácil = “easier.” The adjective remains fácil here; más carries the comparison. Example: Ahora es más fácil decidir. — “Now it is easier to decide.” Elegir is the infinitive “to choose.” It names the activity whose ease is being evaluated. An infinitive can function as the subject of an expression such as elegir será más fácil. It is also reusable after many verbs and expressions, for example Quiero elegir. — “I want to choose.” Together, Así será presents the expected result of the method or arrangement, más fácil describes the increased ease, and elegir names the activity being discussed. The whole utterance therefore means: “That should make the choice easier.”