Choosing an Online Language Course | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Quiero elegir un curso de idiomas en línea.

   I want to choose an online language course.

   Quiero

   I want

   elegir

   to choose

   curso

   course

   idiomas

   languages

   en línea

   online

   More detail

   Quiero is the first-person singular present form of querer (“to want”): yo quiero = “I want.” In Spanish, querer commonly takes an infinitive for a desired action: Quiero descansar. — “I want to rest.” elegir is an infinitive meaning “to choose.” After quiero, it names the action the speaker wants to perform, without adding another subject. Its useful present-tense contrast is elijo (“I choose”), whose first-person form has a spelling change; the infinitive itself remains elegir. curso means “course” and is a singular masculine noun. The article un agrees with it: un curso. Here, curso de idiomas means “language course”; de links the course with the subject or content associated with it. Example: Busco un curso de música. — “I’m looking for a music course.” idiomas is the plural of idioma, meaning “languages.” The plural form refers here to languages as the subject of the course, not to a stated number of languages. Example: Estudio dos idiomas. — “I study two languages.” en línea is a fixed prepositional expression meaning “online,” describing how the course is offered or accessed. It follows curso de idiomas here, so the full noun phrase is “an online language course.” Together, Quiero elegir expresses “I want to choose,” and un curso de idiomas en línea identifies what the speaker wants to choose: an online language course. The complete utterance is therefore “I want to choose an online language course.”

2. Compara el horario, las reseñas y el estilo de enseñanza.

   Compare the schedule, reviews, and teaching style.

   Compara

   compare

   horario

   schedule

   reseñas

   reviews

   estilo

   style

   enseñanza

   teaching

   More detail

   Compara means “compare” here. It is the affirmative command form for tú singular: the speaker addresses one person informally. The infinitive is comparar; present indicative comparas means “you compare,” while compara is the command. Example: Compara las dos opciones. — “Compare the two options.” horario means “schedule” here. Its base noun is el horario, a masculine singular noun; the article el agrees with it. Example: El horario cambia mañana. — “The schedule changes tomorrow.” reseñas means “reviews.” The singular is la reseña; reseñas is its feminine plural form, so las agrees with it. Example: Leo las reseñas antes de elegir. — “I read the reviews before choosing.” estilo means “style.” The noun is el estilo, masculine singular. Example: Me gusta su estilo. — “I like their style.” enseñanza means “teaching” in estilo de enseñanza, the style or method of teaching. It is a feminine singular noun: la enseñanza. The preposition de links it to estilo, specifying what kind of style is meant. Example: La enseñanza es clara. — “The teaching is clear.” Together, Compara el horario, las reseñas y el estilo de enseñanza forms a direct instruction to one informal listener: “Compare the schedule, the reviews, and the teaching style.” The three noun phrases are coordinated as the things to compare. The context makes this a reusable way to assess language-course options.

3. Este curso es más corto, pero tiene menos clases.

   This course is shorter but has fewer lessons.

   Este

   this

   curso

   course

   más corto

   shorter

   tiene

   has

   menos

   fewer

   clases

   lessons

   More detail

   Este means “this” here and is the masculine singular demonstrative that agrees with curso. Demonstratives change for grammatical gender and number: este (masculine singular), esta (feminine singular), and estos/estas (plural). The form identifies the course being discussed as a nearby or currently selected one. curso means “course.” It is a masculine noun, as shown by este and by the masculine adjective form corto. The plural is cursos. más corto means “shorter.” Corto is the base adjective “short,” and más corto is the comparative “shorter”; más marks the comparison. The adjective agrees with curso: masculine singular corto. For a feminine singular noun, use más corta; for plural nouns, más cortos or más cortas. Example: La clase es más corta — “The class is shorter.” Tiene means “has” in this sentence. It is the third-person singular present form of tener: tener → tiene. The subject here is este curso, so the singular form is used. Example: El curso tiene ejercicios — “The course has exercises.” Menos means “fewer” with the plural count noun clases. Unlike an adjective, menos does not change for masculine or feminine gender; it can be used with singular or plural nouns according to the quantity being compared. Compare menos clases (“fewer lessons”) with menos tiempo (“less time”). Clases means “lessons” or “classes” here. It is the plural of clase; the singular is clase. In menos clases, it names the countable items whose number is lower in comparison with another course. Example: Hay tres clases — “There are three lessons.” Putting the parts together, Este curso es más corto says “This course is shorter.” Pero introduces a contrast, and tiene menos clases says that this course has a smaller number of lessons. The complete meaning is: “This course is shorter but has fewer lessons.”

4. El otro parece más adecuado para principiantes.

   The other one looks more beginner-friendly.

   El otro

   the other one

   parece

   looks / seems

   más adecuado

   more suitable

   principiantes

   beginners

   More detail

   El otro means “the other one.” El and otro are masculine singular, so the omitted noun is understood as masculine singular; in the supplied context, this points to the alternative course. Otro changes for gender and number: otro, otra, otros, otras. Example: La otra parece más adecuada. — “The other one looks more suitable.” Parece comes from parecer, “to seem” or “to look.” This is the present-tense third-person singular form, matching the singular subject El otro. Example: El libro parece útil. — “The book seems useful.” Más adecuado means “more suitable.” Adecuado is an adjective agreeing in masculine singular with the understood noun, while más forms the comparative: más + adjective. Its base form is adecuado; the feminine and plural forms include adecuada, adecuados, and adecuadas. Example: Este horario es más adecuado. — “This schedule is more suitable.” Principiantes means “beginners.” It is the plural form of principiante; this noun has the same form for masculine and feminine people, while the article or adjective can show number and, where applicable, gender. The phrase para principiantes identifies the people the option suits; it does not say that they are studying at this moment. Together, El otro parece más adecuado para principiantes says that the alternative one seems more suitable for beginners. The comparative includes the idea of suitability relative to another option, while para principiantes specifies the intended users.

5. Solo puedo estudiar los fines de semana.

   I can only study on weekends.

   Solo

   only

   puedo

   I can

   estudiar

   to study

   los fines de semana

   on weekends

   More detail

   Solo means “only” here and limits the time when studying is possible: the speaker can study on weekends, but the sentence does not say that studying is the only activity they can do. puedo is the first-person singular present form of poder (“to be able to/can”). The subject is understood as “I.” poder is commonly followed by an infinitive: puedo estudiar = “I can study.” Compare puedes = “you can” and puede = “he, she, or you formal can.” estudiar is the infinitive “to study.” After poder, it names the activity that is possible: Puedo trabajar. = “I can work.” The infinitive does not show who performs the action here; puedo supplies the first-person singular subject. los fines de semana is the time expression “on weekends.” The singular expression fin de semana means “weekend”; its plural form fines de semana, with the article los, refers to weekends generally. Example: Trabajo los fines de semana. = “I work on weekends.” Together, Solo puedo estudiar los fines de semana means “I can only study on weekends.” The reusable pattern is solo + [conjugated verb] + [activity] + [time expression]: “only + can + study + on weekends.”

6. Entonces, elige el curso con clases los fines de semana.

   Then choose the course with weekend classes.

   Entonces

   Then

   elige

   choose

   curso

   course

   clases

   classes

   los fines de semana

   on weekends

   More detail

   Entonces means “then” here, linking the choice to what was just established. It can also introduce a conclusion in other contexts, but here it marks the next step. elige is the affirmative command form of elegir (“to choose”). Its exact form is the informal singular command for tú: “choose.” The present indicative form for “you choose” is also eliges, while the command is elige. Example: Elige una opción. — “Choose an option.” curso means “course.” Its plural is cursos. In el curso, the article el marks this noun as masculine singular; the noun itself is not made plural by the article. Example: El curso empieza mañana. — “The course starts tomorrow.” clases means “classes.” It is the plural of clase, and the final -s marks more than one class. Clase is feminine, so a singular phrase would be una clase, while the plural form is unas clases when an indefinite article is needed. Example: Tengo clases por la tarde. — “I have classes in the afternoon.” los fines de semana is the reusable expression “on weekends.” fin is singular in the phrase fin de semana, but the expression here uses plural fines de semana because it refers to weekends generally. The plural article los agrees with fines, not with semana. Example: Trabajo los fines de semana. — “I work on weekends.” Together, elige el curso means “choose the course,” and con clases los fines de semana identifies which course: the one that has classes on weekends. With Entonces at the beginning, the complete utterance is: “Then choose the course with weekend classes.”

7. Las reseñas dicen que el profesor explica con claridad.

   The reviews say the teacher explains clearly.

   reseñas

   reviews

   dicen

   say

   profesor

   teacher

   explica

   explains

   claridad

   clarity

   More detail

   reseñas means “reviews” here. Its base form is reseña, a feminine noun; the plural ending -s shows that there is more than one review. Example: La reseña es breve. — “The review is brief.” dicen comes from decir, “to say” or “to tell.” It is the present-tense form for ellos/ellas/ustedes, so here it agrees with the plural subject Las reseñas: “the reviews say.” The form is irregular: the useful present-tense chain is digo, dices, dice, decimos, decís, dicen. Example: Ellos dicen la verdad. — “They tell the truth.” profesor means “teacher” or “professor” in this sentence. It is a masculine noun; its feminine counterpart is commonly profesora. With the definite article, el profesor means “the teacher,” identifying a singular masculine referent. Example: El profesor llega temprano. — “The teacher arrives early.” explica comes from explicar, “to explain.” It is the present-tense third-person singular form, agreeing with el profesor: “he explains” or “the teacher explains.” The same form can also agree with ella or usted; the subject here is explicitly el profesor. Example: La profesora explica la regla. — “The teacher explains the rule.” claridad means “clarity.” It is a feminine noun, and in con claridad, the preposition con plus the noun forms an adverbial expression meaning “clearly” or “with clarity.” This expression describes how the teacher explains. Example: Habla con claridad. — “He or she speaks clearly.” Together, Las reseñas dicen que introduces what the reviews say: el profesor explica con claridad. The clause after que states the content of their statement. The full utterance therefore means “The reviews say the teacher explains clearly.”

8. Eso importa más que un curso más corto.

   That matters more than a shorter course.

   Eso

   That

   importa

   matters

   más que

   more than

   curso

   course

   más corto

   shorter

   More detail

   Eso is a neuter demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” here. It refers to an idea, situation, or matter understood from the context, without naming a specific noun in the sentence. Unlike este/esta and estos/estas, eso does not show masculine/feminine agreement with a noun. importa comes from importar, “to matter” or “to be important.” It is the present-tense third-person singular form: eso importa = “that matters.” The verb agrees with the singular subject eso; it is not the same use as importar meaning “to import” goods. más que introduces a comparison: “more than.” The pattern A importa más que B means “A matters more than B.” For example, La práctica importa más que la teoría means “Practice matters more than theory.” curso means “course.” It is a masculine singular noun, as shown by un and by the adjective form corto. The indefinite article un marks an unspecified course; it does not by itself assert a numerical count. más corto means “shorter.” Corto is the base adjective “short,” and más corto forms the comparative with más + adjective. Because it describes the masculine singular noun curso, it appears as corto; with a feminine singular noun, the adjective would be corta, as in una clase más corta (“a shorter class”). Together, Eso importa says “That matters,” and más que un curso más corto sets up the comparison “more than a shorter course.” The whole utterance is therefore: “That matters more than a shorter course.”