Choose an online course by priorities | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Estoy comparando cursos en línea, y parecen adaptarse a distintos estilos de aprendizaje.

   I'm comparing online courses, and they seem to fit different learning styles.

   Estoy comparando

   I am comparing

   cursos

   courses

   en línea

   online

   parecen adaptarse

   seem to fit

   distintos

   different

   estilos

   styles

   aprendizaje

   learning

   More detail

   Estoy comparando uses estar in the present, first-person singular (estoy), plus the gerund comparando from comparar. Together, this is the progressive pattern estar + gerundio: “I am comparing.” Example: Estoy leyendo = “I am reading.” cursos is the plural of curso, “course.” In this sentence it is the subject of parecen, so the verb is plural. Example: Estos cursos son útiles = “These courses are useful.” en línea means “online.” It is a compact descriptive expression used after a noun: cursos en línea = “online courses.” Example: Busco clases en línea = “I am looking for online classes.” parecen adaptarse combines present-tense parecen, the third-person plural form of parecer, with the infinitive adaptarse. The pattern parecer + infinitive expresses that something seems to do something. Here, parecen agrees with plural cursos, and adaptarse means “to adapt” or, in this context, “to fit/be suited.” Example: Las actividades parecen funcionar = “The activities seem to work.” distintos is the masculine plural form of the adjective distinto, “different.” It agrees with the masculine plural noun estilos; the plural form also reflects that more than one style is being discussed. Example: distintas opciones = “different options,” where the adjective is feminine plural because opciones is feminine plural. estilos is the plural of estilo, “style.” In estilos de aprendizaje, it is the main noun of the phrase, while the following de aprendizaje specifies what kind of styles they are. Example: Hay varios estilos = “There are several styles.” aprendizaje means “learning.” It is a noun formed from the verb aprender, “to learn,” and here appears after de in the noun phrase estilos de aprendizaje, “learning styles.” Example: El aprendizaje requiere práctica = “Learning requires practice.” Putting the parts together: Estoy comparando cursos en línea means “I’m comparing online courses.” The second clause, y parecen adaptarse a distintos estilos de aprendizaje, adds “and they seem to fit different learning styles.” The pronoun-like subject is not separately written in the second clause: plural parecen identifies the previously mentioned cursos as the thing that seems suited to the different learning styles.

2. ¿Qué es lo más importante para ti: recibir comentarios, tener flexibilidad o practicar la conversación?

   What matters most to you: feedback, flexibility, or speaking practice?

   ¿Qué

   What

   es

   is

   lo más importante

   what is most important

   para ti

   for you

   recibir

   to receive

   comentarios

   feedback

   tener

   to have

   flexibilidad

   flexibility

   practicar

   to practise

   conversación

   conversation

   More detail

   ¿Qué asks for the thing or option being identified: “what”. In this question, it introduces the answer to “what is most important?”. A useful contrast is ¿Quién? = “who?”, which asks about a person. es is the third-person singular present form of ser, “to be”. Here it links the question word with the description lo más importante. Example: La flexibilidad es importante. = “Flexibility is important.” lo más importante means “the most important thing” or, naturally here, “what matters most”. lo is a neuter article used to turn an adjective into a general idea; it does not refer to a specific masculine noun. importante is the adjective “important”, and más importante is its comparative/superlative expression with más: “more important” or, with lo, “the most important”. The adjective itself has the same form for masculine and feminine nouns. Compare lo más útil = “the most useful thing”. para ti identifies the person whose priorities are being asked about: “for you”. ti is the stressed form of the second-person singular pronoun used after a preposition such as para; it is different from tú, the subject form. Example: Esto es importante para ti. = “This is important to you.” recibir is the infinitive “to receive”. As one of the options after the colon, it names an activity rather than a particular tense or person. comentarios is a plural noun meaning “feedback” here; the plural form presents feedback as comments or pieces of feedback. Example: Quiero recibir comentarios. = “I want to receive feedback.” tener is the infinitive “to have”. It introduces another possible priority: having flexibility. Example: Necesito tener flexibilidad. = “I need to have flexibility.” flexibilidad is a feminine noun meaning “flexibility”; its gender is grammatical and does not mean that the concept itself is a person or has a natural sex. practicar is the infinitive “to practise”. It introduces the third option. la conversación means “conversation”; conversación is a feminine noun, and the article la appears in the full phrase la conversación. Together, practicar la conversación means “to practise conversation” or, in the supplied translation, “speaking practice”. Example: Quiero practicar la conversación. = “I want to practise conversation.” The question has the pattern ¿Qué es lo más importante para ti: X, Y o Z? The colon introduces three alternatives, and o means “or”. The three options are recibir comentarios, tener flexibilidad, and practicar la conversación; the question asks which of these matters most to the person addressed. In the surrounding course-comparison context, it asks about that learner’s priority, without asserting which option they choose.

3. Necesito comentarios, pero mi horario cambia mucho.

   I need feedback, but my schedule changes a lot.

   Necesito

   I need

   comentarios

   feedback

   pero

   but

   horario

   schedule

   cambia

   changes

   mucho

   a lot

   More detail

   Necesito is the first-person singular present form of necesitar (“to need”): necesito = “I need.” It states the speaker’s current need. For example, Necesito ayuda. means “I need help.” comentarios is the plural of comentario. Here it means “feedback,” matching the earlier question about receiving feedback. In other contexts, comentarios can mean “comments.” The plural form is the Spanish form used for this meaning here; it does not by itself assert a particular number of comments. pero means “but.” It links two statements while preserving both of them: the speaker needs feedback, and the schedule changes a lot. It does not cancel the first statement. horario is a masculine singular noun meaning “schedule” or “timetable.” Its plural is horarios. In this sentence, mi means “my” and identifies the schedule as belonging to the speaker; mi does not change for masculine versus feminine nouns. cambia is the third-person singular present form of cambiar (“to change”). The subject here is mi horario, which is grammatically singular, so the verb is singular: mi horario cambia. For comparison, mis horarios cambian means “my schedules change.” mucho is an adverb here meaning “a lot,” modifying cambia. It describes the extent of the schedule’s changing. For example, El horario cambia mucho. means “The schedule changes a lot.” Together, Necesito comentarios says “I need feedback.” pero introduces the complication mi horario cambia mucho: “my schedule changes a lot.” The complete utterance is therefore: “I need feedback, but my schedule changes a lot.”

4. Entonces, quizá te convenga más un curso flexible con sesiones en directo opcionales.

   Then a flexible course with optional live sessions may fit best.

   Entonces

   then

   quizá

   perhaps

   te convenga

   suit you

   más

   more

   curso

   course

   flexible

   flexible

   sesiones

   sessions

   en directo

   live; in real time

   opcionales

   optional

   More detail

   Entonces means “then” here and links this suggestion to what was just said. It can also mean “so” when it introduces a conclusion. quizá expresses uncertainty: “perhaps” or “maybe.” It commonly appears with the subjunctive when the speaker presents the event as uncertain. Example: Quizá llegue tarde. — “Maybe I’ll arrive late.” te convenga comes from convenir, “to suit” or “to be convenient for.” The form convenga is present subjunctive, third-person singular, agreeing with the thing that may suit someone: un curso ... convenga. te is the indirect-object pronoun identifying the person for whom it may be suitable; here the translation identifies that person as “you.” A useful pattern is te conviene for a more direct “it suits you/is convenient for you,” versus te convenga when uncertainty or another subjunctive-triggering context is present. Example: Te conviene descansar. — “It is good for you to rest.” más is a comparative word meaning “more.” With convenga, it indicates greater suitability, so the combined sense is “suit you better” or “fit you best.” The comparison is understood from the available alternatives or situation; the sentence does not name a specific comparison. curso is a masculine singular noun meaning “course.” Its plural is cursos. The indefinite article un marks this as one nonspecific course, but it does not by itself assert a numerical count as the main point. Example: Busco un curso práctico. — “I’m looking for a practical course.” flexible is an adjective meaning “flexible.” It has the same form for masculine and feminine singular nouns; its plural is flexibles. In un curso flexible, it describes the course as adaptable. Example: Necesito un horario flexible. — “I need a flexible schedule.” sesiones is the plural of the feminine noun sesión, “session.” The plural ending -es is used here because the singular ends in a stressed vowel plus consonant. Example: Las sesiones empiezan temprano. — “The sessions start early.” en directo is a reusable expression meaning “live” or “in real time.” It describes the sessions rather than naming a type of course. Example: La clase es en directo. — “The class is live.” opcionales is the plural form of the adjective opcional, “optional.” It agrees with the feminine plural noun sesiones; the same plural form would be used with masculine plural nouns as well. Example: Las actividades son opcionales. — “The activities are optional.” Together, un curso flexible con sesiones en directo opcionales means “a flexible course with optional live sessions.” The preposition con connects the course with the sessions described. The complete structure Entonces, quizá te convenga más ... presents this course as a possibly better fit for you, given the situation described, while leaving the suggestion uncertain: “Then a flexible course with optional live sessions may fit best.”

5. Uno de los cursos tiene reseñas muy buenas, pero ofrece muy poca práctica oral.

   One course has strong reviews, but it has very little speaking practice.

   Uno de los

   one of the

   cursos

   courses

   tiene

   has

   reseñas

   reviews

   buenas

   good

   ofrece

   offers

   poca

   little

   práctica

   practice

   oral

   oral; speaking

   More detail

   Uno de los introduces one member of a larger, identified group: uno de los cursos means “one of the courses.” Uno is masculine singular here because it refers to the masculine noun curso; los cursos is plural. This construction does not by itself say that there is only one course in total. cursos is the plural of curso (“course”). The singular/plural contrast is curso / cursos; the plural form fits the group selected by uno de los. tiene is the present-tense third-person singular form of tener (“to have”). The singular subject is uno de los cursos, so Spanish uses tiene, not plural tienen. In this sentence, tener states that the course has or receives the reviews described next. reseñas is the plural of reseña (“review”). The phrase reseñas buenas means good reviews. buenas is the feminine plural form of bueno, agreeing with feminine plural reseñas: buena / buenas contrasts with masculine bueno / buenos. With muy, the full phrase reseñas muy buenas means “very good reviews”; the translation “strong reviews” is a natural rendering of that positive evaluation. ofrece is the present-tense third-person singular form of ofrecer (“to offer”). It has the same singular subject as tiene, so the sentence uses ofrece, not ofrecen. The second clause presents what the course provides. poca is the feminine singular form of poco (“little” or “not much”). It agrees with the feminine singular noun práctica: poco with a masculine singular noun, poca with a feminine singular noun, and plural forms pocos / pocas when the noun is plural. Here muy poca means “very little”; muy intensifies the small amount. práctica means “practice” here, specifically practice as an activity rather than a single countable exercise. Its adjective oral specifies that the practice involves speaking. oral has the same form with masculine and feminine singular nouns; plural forms are orales. The connector pero marks a contrast. First, uno de los cursos tiene reseñas muy buenas says that one course has very good reviews. Then pero ofrece muy poca práctica oral adds the contrasting limitation: the same course offers very little speaking practice. Together, the utterance means: “One course has strong reviews, but it has very little speaking practice.”

6. Si hablar es tu objetivo, esa falta de práctica importa.

   If speaking is your goal, that gap matters.

   Si

   if

   hablar

   to speak; speaking

   objetivo

   goal

   esa

   that

   falta

   lack; gap

   práctica

   practice

   importa

   matters

   More detail

   Si introduces a condition: “if …”. The pattern Si + clause, clause connects a possible condition with its result. Example: Si estudias, aprendes. — “If you study, you learn.” hablar is the infinitive “to speak”. Spanish infinitives can function like nouns, so hablar here means “speaking” and serves as the subject of es: Hablar es útil. — “Speaking is useful.” objetivo is a masculine singular noun meaning “goal” or “objective”. In tu objetivo, tu means “your” and does not change for grammatical gender; the noun’s gender is shown by forms such as el objetivo. esa is the feminine singular form of the demonstrative meaning “that”. It agrees with the feminine singular noun falta in esa falta. Here, the fixed translation and context identify this gap as the lack of speaking practice mentioned previously. The demonstrative marks it as a particular, identifiable gap rather than introducing a general concept. falta is a feminine singular noun meaning “lack” or, in this context, “gap”. It is related in meaning to the idea of something being missing; do not confuse it with práctica, the thing that is lacking here. Example: Hay una falta de tiempo. — “There is a lack of time.” práctica means “practice”. In the preceding context, práctica oral means “speaking practice”; in the present sentence, the noun falta refers back to that shortfall, while práctica itself is not repeated. importa comes from importar, “to matter” or “to be important”. It is the present-tense third-person singular form, agreeing with the singular subject esa falta: La falta importa. — “The lack matters.” This use is different from importar meaning “to import” in another context. Together, Si hablar es tu objetivo means “If speaking is your goal”. The condition is followed by esa falta de práctica (“that lack of practice”), and importa says that this lack matters. The complete meaning is: “If speaking is your goal, that gap matters.”

7. El otro curso incluye clases interactivas y comentarios del profesor.

   The other course includes interactive classes and teacher comments.

   otro

   other

   curso

   course

   incluye

   includes

   clases

   classes

   interactivas

   interactive

   comentarios

   comments

   profesor

   teacher

   More detail

   otro means “other” or “another.” Here it is masculine singular because it describes curso; the article el and adjective otro agree with that noun. Compare otra clase (“another class”), where the feminine form is needed. curso is a masculine noun meaning “course.” Its plural is cursos. In this sentence it is the subject of incluye, so the course is presented as the thing that includes the listed content. incluye is the third-person singular present form of incluir (“to include”). The ending agrees with the singular subject el otro curso: el curso incluye. The same form can also mean “includes” in a general or current description. Example: El programa incluye ejercicios. — “The program includes exercises.” clases is the plural of the feminine noun clase, “class” or “classes.” The plural is required because the sentence refers to classes as a category of included content. clase can refer to a lesson or a class, depending on context. interactivas means “interactive.” It is the feminine plural form of interactivo, agreeing with clases: clases interactivas. The masculine singular, for example, is curso interactivo; the adjective changes for both gender and number. comentarios is the plural of comentario, “comment” or “comments.” It can refer to spoken or written remarks. Example: Escribió comentarios útiles. — “He or she wrote useful comments.” profesor means “teacher” or “professor.” In del profesor, del is the contraction of de + el, expressing the relation “of the teacher” or “by the teacher.” The fixed translation identifies these as teacher comments, so profesor is the person associated with the comments; the form itself is masculine singular. A feminine noun commonly used for a female teacher is profesora. Together, El otro curso means “the other course,” and incluye says that this course contains the following two items: clases interactivas and comentarios del profesor. The conjunction y joins those items, giving the complete meaning: “The other course includes interactive classes and teacher comments.”

8. Elige el que se adapte a la forma en que realmente quieres aprender.

   Choose the one that matches how you actually want to learn.

   Elige

   choose

   el que

   the one that

   se adapte

   matches / fits

   forma

   way / manner

   en que

   in which / how

   realmente

   actually / really

   quieres

   want

   aprender

   learn

   More detail

   Elige is the affirmative tú command of elegir (“to choose”): elige addresses one person informally. For a formal singular command, Spanish uses elija, not elige. Example: Elige una opción. — “Choose an option.” el que means “the one that.” Here, el and que form a masculine singular relative expression referring to the relevant option or item understood in context; the sentence does not independently identify that referent. The masculine singular form agrees with the understood item, not with the person being addressed. se adapte comes from adaptarse (“to adapt / fit”), and here means “fits” or “matches.” It is third-person singular present subjunctive. The subjunctive appears in the relative clause describing the item to choose: el que se adapte... — “the one that fits...” The reflexive pronoun se belongs to adaptarse; it is not a separate object meaning “it.” forma is the feminine singular noun forma, meaning “way” or “manner” here. It can also mean “form” or “shape” in other contexts. Example: Esta es una buena forma de practicar. — “This is a good way to practise.” en que introduces the clause describing that way: literally “in which,” and naturally “how” in this sentence. Together, la forma en que... is a reusable pattern meaning “the way that...” or “how...”. Example: Me gusta la forma en que explicas. — “I like the way you explain things.” realmente is an adverb meaning “actually” or “really.” It modifies the wanting expressed by the following clause, emphasizing that the desired way of learning is the learner’s genuine preference. quieres is the second-person singular present form of querer (“to want”): quiero, quieres, quiere. Here it addresses the same informal singular person as elige. Example: ¿Qué quieres aprender? — “What do you want to learn?” aprender is the infinitive “to learn.” After querer, Spanish uses the infinitive when the person who wants and the person who performs the action are the same: quieres aprender — “you want to learn.” Together, Elige gives the informal singular command “choose,” el que se adapte identifies the item that fits, and la forma en que realmente quieres aprender specifies the learner’s genuine preferred way of learning. The complete meaning is: “Choose the one that matches how you actually want to learn.”