Using the Library Printer | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. ¿Cómo uso la impresora de la biblioteca?

   How do I use the printer in the library?

   ¿Cómo

   How

   uso

   use

   impresora

   printer

   biblioteca

   library

   More detail

   ¿Cómo asks about the method or way of doing something: “how.” In Spanish, cómo has an accent when it is interrogative, as in ¿Cómo ...?. uso is the first-person singular present form of usar (“to use”): yo uso = “I use.” Spanish present tense can describe a current or generally relevant action, so here it asks how the speaker can use the printer. impresora means “printer.” It is a feminine singular noun, which is why the sentence uses la impresora (“the printer”). The noun is more specific than the general idea of printing. biblioteca means “library.” In de la biblioteca, de links the noun phrase to the library, and la agrees with feminine singular biblioteca. In this sentence, the relation is naturally understood as “in the library,” matching the fixed translation. Together, ¿Cómo + uso asks for a method, and la impresora de la biblioteca identifies the printer being used. The whole utterance means: “How do I use the printer in the library?”

2. Primero, elige la impresora en esta pantalla.

   First, choose the printer on this screen.

   Primero

   First

   elige

   choose

   impresora

   printer

   esta

   this

   pantalla

   screen

   More detail

   Primero means “first” here and commonly marks the first step in a sequence. It is an adverb, so it does not change to agree with a noun. For example: Primero, abre el menú. — “First, open the menu.” elige means “choose” here. It is the affirmative command form for tú singular of elegir; the infinitive is elegir. The command addresses one person informally. For example: Elige una opción. — “Choose an option.” impresora means “printer.” Its base form is the noun impresora, and it is feminine singular, shown in the surrounding phrase la impresora. A related noun is impresión (“printing” or “printout”), but it is not the same word: impresora names the device. For example: La impresora está aquí. — “The printer is here.” esta means “this” in esta pantalla. It is the feminine singular demonstrative form, agreeing with the feminine singular noun pantalla. It points to the screen identified as the relevant one in the situation. Do not confuse it with está, with an accent, which is a form of estar meaning “is” in suitable contexts. pantalla means “screen.” It is a feminine singular noun, as shown by esta pantalla. For example: La pantalla es grande. — “The screen is large.” Together, Primero sets the order, and elige gives a direct instruction to one informal tú listener. The object of the instruction is la impresora, and en esta pantalla specifies where to make that choice: “First, choose the printer on this screen.”

3. ¿Puedo elegir la impresión a doble cara?

   Can I choose double-sided printing?

   Puedo

   can

   elegir

   choose

   impresión

   printing

   doble

   double

   cara

   side

   More detail

   Puedo is the first-person singular present form of poder (“to be able to,” or “can”). In this question, it asks whether the speaker is allowed or able to make the choice. The pattern ¿Puedo + infinitive...? is a reusable way to ask “Can I ...?” Example: ¿Puedo cambiar la configuración? — “Can I change the setting?” elegir is an infinitive meaning “to choose.” After the conjugated verb puedo, Spanish uses the infinitive: puedo elegir, not a second present-tense form. Example: Quiero elegir otra opción. — “I want to choose another option.” impresión is a feminine noun meaning “printing” here. The article la agrees with this noun: la impresión. The same word can also mean “print” or “impression” in other contexts, but the surrounding setting identifies the printing sense here. doble means “double” and modifies cara in the construction a doble cara. It does not change form for masculine or feminine nouns in this use. Example: una página doble can mean “a double page,” while a doble cara is the established expression for using both sides. cara means “side” in a doble cara. In other contexts it can mean “face,” but here it refers to a side of a printed sheet. The prepositional construction a doble cara means “double-sided” or “on both sides”; it describes the type of printing rather than adding a separate action. Together, ¿Puedo elegir asks “Can I choose,” and la impresión a doble cara names “double-sided printing.” The complete utterance therefore means: “Can I choose double-sided printing?”

4. Cambia la configuración antes de imprimir.

   Change the setting before you print.

   Cambia

   Change

   configuración

   setting

   antes de

   before

   imprimir

   print

   More detail

   Cambia means “change” here as an affirmative command addressed to one person using tú. Its base form is cambiar; cambia can also be a present-tense form (“he/she changes”), but in this sentence the command reading is clear from its position as the opening verb. configuración means “setting” here. It is a feminine singular noun, as shown by la. The plural is configuraciones when referring to more than one setting. Example: La configuración es sencilla. — “The setting is simple.” antes de introduces something that happens earlier. When the following action has no separately expressed subject, Spanish commonly uses antes de + infinitive: antes de salir — “before leaving.” Here, de is followed by the infinitive imprimir, not a conjugated verb. imprimir is the infinitive “to print.” The related noun impresión means “printing” or “print,” but it is not the form used after antes de in this sentence. Example: Quiero imprimir el documento. — “I want to print the document.” Together, Cambia la configuración gives the command “Change the setting,” and antes de imprimir adds the time condition “before you print.” The complete utterance is therefore: “Change the setting before you print.”

5. Solo necesito imprimir un documento corto.

   I only need to print a short document.

   Solo

   only

   necesito

   I need

   imprimir

   to print

   documento

   document

   corto

   short

   More detail

   Solo means “only” here: it limits the need to printing, without excluding printing itself. In current Spanish spelling, solo is normally written without an accent; older texts may use sólo to mark this adverbial sense. necesito is the first-person singular present form of necesitar (“to need”): yo necesito. Spanish commonly leaves the subject pronoun yo unstated because the verb form identifies it. Example: Necesito ayuda. — “I need help.” imprimir is the infinitive “to print.” After necesitar, the needed action can be expressed with a noun or an infinitive: Necesito imprimir. — “I need to print.” The infinitive does not show a separate subject here; it refers to the person who needs the action. documento is a masculine singular noun meaning “document.” The indefinite article un agrees with it in masculine singular form: un documento. Here un introduces an unspecified document; the sentence does not emphasize a numerical count. corto is the masculine singular form of the adjective corto (“short”). It agrees with documento: un documento corto. With a feminine singular noun, the corresponding form is corta, as in the example una nota corta — “a short note.” Together, Solo necesito imprimir gives “I only need to print,” and un documento corto identifies what is to be printed. The complete utterance therefore means: “I only need to print a short document.”

6. Entonces, revisa la vista previa antes de empezar.

   Then check the preview before you start.

   Entonces

   then

   revisa

   check

   vista

   view

   previa

   previous

   antes de

   before

   empezar

   start

   More detail

   Entonces means “then” here, linking this instruction to what has just been said. It can also introduce a conclusion or consequence in other contexts. revisa comes from revisar, “to check” or “review.” In this sentence it is an affirmative command addressed to one tú listener. The exact form revisa is the tú singular command; it is different from revise, the usted command. Example: Revisa el documento. — “Check the document.” vista is the feminine singular noun “view” in this expression. Together with previa, it forms la vista previa, the usual expression for “the preview.” The noun’s feminine singular form is why the accompanying adjective is feminine singular. previa is the feminine singular form of the adjective previo, meaning “previous” or “prior.” In la vista previa, it describes the view as one shown beforehand, producing the established meaning “preview.” Compare el paso previo — “the prior step”; the adjective changes to agree with the masculine noun. antes de means “before.” When it is followed by an infinitive, it marks the infinitive action as later than the main action. Here, antes de empezar means “before starting”; checking happens first, and starting happens afterward. It does not by itself express obligation. empezar is the infinitive “to start” or “to begin.” After antes de, an infinitive is used when its subject is understood; here, the understood subject is the same tú listener addressed by revisa. Example: Guarda el archivo antes de salir. — “Save the file before leaving.” Taken together, Entonces, revisa la vista previa antes de empezar. means “Then check the preview before you start.” Entonces connects the instruction, revisa gives the direct command, la vista previa names what should be checked, and antes de empezar places that check before the listener’s starting action.

7. ¿Por dónde salen las páginas impresas?

   Where do the printed pages come out?

   Por dónde

   where

   salen

   come out

   páginas

   pages

   impresas

   printed

   More detail

   Por dónde asks about the route or place through which something moves: “where ... through.” Dónde means “where,” and por here marks the path or outlet, not a destination. Example: ¿Por dónde entra el aire? — “Where does the air come in through?” Salen is the present-tense form of salir (“to leave” or “come out”) for ellos/ellas/ustedes. Here it means “come out,” and its plural form agrees with the plural subject las páginas. The singular counterpart is sale: La página sale. — “The page comes out.” Páginas is the plural of página, “page.” The plural ending -s refers to more than one page. Example: Estas páginas son importantes. — “These pages are important.” Impresas means “printed” here. It is the feminine plural form of impreso/impresa, which is related to imprimir (“to print”). It agrees with feminine plural páginas: página impresa is singular, while páginas impresas is plural. The masculine forms are impreso and impresos, used with masculine nouns. Together, ¿Por dónde salen las páginas impresas? asks through what place or outlet the printed pages come out: “Where do the printed pages come out?”`

8. Salen en la bandeja de abajo.

   They come out in the tray below.

   Salen

   come out

   bandeja

   tray

   de abajo

   below

   More detail

   Salen is the present-tense third-person plural form of salir, “to come out” or “to leave.” Here it agrees with the plural subject understood from the preceding question: the printed pages. The useful pattern is salen = “they come out.” For one thing, use sale: La página sale. — “The page comes out.” bandeja means “tray.” It is a feminine singular noun, so the phrase uses la bandeja, “the tray.” The noun can be reused in phrases such as la bandeja de entrada — “the input tray” — when that meaning is intended. de abajo means “below” or “down below.” In this sentence, it identifies which tray: the one located below. abajo is an adverb here, not an adjective agreeing with bandeja. Together, Salen en la bandeja de abajo means “They come out in the tray below.” The understood plural subject is the printed pages established by the preceding question; salen describes their output location, en la bandeja gives the location, and de abajo specifies the lower tray.