Word Order in Spanish

Word Order in Spanish The subject of word order in Spanish can be quite complex, so this lesson should be considered merely an introduction. As you study Spanish, you will encounter a wide variety of ways of ordering words in a sentence, many of them ways that are impossible or awkward in English. In general, Spanish is more flexible with its word order than English is. In both languages, a typical statement consists of a noun followed by a verb followed by an object (if the verb has an object). In English, variations from that norm are used mostly for literary effect. But in Spanish, changes in the word order can be heard in everyday conversation or seen frequently in everyday writing such as that found in newspapers and magazines. Typical Word Orders The chart below shows examples of some common ways of ordering words. Note that in many sentences the subject can be omitted if it can be understood from the context. As a beginning student, you dont need to memorize these word-order possibilities, but you should be familiar with these common schemes so you dont trip over them when you come across them. Type Order Example Comment Statement Subject, verb Roberto estudia. (Roberto is studying.) This word order is extremely common and can be considered the norm. Statement Subject, verb, object Roberto compr el libro. (Roberto bought the book.) This word order is extremely common and can be considered the norm. Statement Subject, object pronoun, verb Roberto lo compr. (Roberto bought it.) This word order is extremely common and can be considered the norm. Object pronouns precede conjugated verbs; they can be attached at the end of infinitives and present participles. Question Question word, verb, subject Dnde est el libro? (Where is the book?) This word order is extremely common and can be considered the norm. Exclamation Exclamatory word, adjective, verb, subject Qu linda es Roberta! (How beautiful Roberta is!) This word order is extremely common and can be considered the norm. Many exclamations omit one or more of these sentence parts. Statement Verb, noun Sufren los nios. (The children are suffering.) Placing the verb ahead of the noun can have the effect of placing more emphasis on the verb. In the sample sentence, the emphasis is more on the suffering than who is suffering. Statement Object, verb, noun El libro lo escribi Juan. (John wrote the book.) Placing the object at the beginning of the sentence can have the effect of placing more emphasis on the object. In the sample sentence, the emphasis is on what was written, not who wrote it. The pronoun lo, although redundant, is customary in this sentence construction. Statement Adverb, verb, noun Siempre hablan los nios. (The children are always talking.) In general, Spanish adverbs are kept close to the verbs they modify. If an adverb starts a sentence, the verb frequently follows. Phrase Noun, adjective la casa azul y cara (the expensive blue house) Descriptive adjectives, especially ones that describe something objectively, usually are placed after the nouns they modify. Phrase Adjective, noun Otras casas (other houses); mi querida amiga (my dear friend) Adjectives of number and other nondescriptive adjectives usually precede the noun. Often, so do adjectives being used to describe something subjectively, such as to impart an emotional quality to it. Phrase Preposition, noun en la caja (in the box) Note that Spanish sentences can never end in a preposition, as is commonly done in English. Command Verb, subject pronoun Estudia t. (Study.) Pronouns are often unnecessary in commands; when used, they nearly always immediately follow the verb. Sample Sentences Demonstrating Spanish Word Order The sentences below  are examples of Spanish as it is most commonly ordered: La atencià ³n a los recià ©n llegados es un reto para las Fuerzas de Seguridad. (Attention to the recently arrived is a challenge for the Security Forces. Here the word order is almost to what you would find in English.) Diagnostican por error una gripe a una joven y terminan amputndole la pierna. (They diagnosed the flu by mistake in a boy and ended up amputating his leg. Here the phrase por error, meaning by mistake, is kept closer to the verb, diagnostican, than it would be in English.) Un coche blanco ser ms fresco en verano. (A white car will be cooler in summer. The adjective blanco, meaning white, comes after the word for car, coche, not before.)  ¿Dà ³nde estn las oportunidades? (Where are the opportunities? In simple questions, English and Spanish word order can be identical.) Es importante que me diga con quià ©n saliste. (It is important that you tell me who you left with. The pronoun object me, me in English, comes before diga, you left,  the reverse of English. And while the English sentence ends with the preposition with, in Spanish con must come before the word here for who, quià ©n.) Key Takeaways Although word order in Spanish is often similar to that of English, Spanish can be more flexible.Among the key differences are  that descriptive adjectives usually follow nouns, and Spanish sentences cannot end in a preposition.Spanish adverbs usually are placed next to or very close to the words they modify.