Spanish sentence structures are the frameworks that organize words into meaningful sentences, ranging from simple to complex forms.
- Simple sentences express a single idea with one main clause.
- Compound sentences join two or more main clauses, usually with conjunctions.
- Complex sentences contain at least one main clause and one or more subordinate clauses.
Simple, compound, and complex are the main sentence structures in Spanish.
Simple Sentences
A simple sentence (oración simple) consists of a single independent clause with a subject and a predicate.
- Example: María canta una canción. (María sings a song.)
- Key components: Subject (S) + Verb (V) + (Optional) Object (O)
A simple sentence has one subject and one verb, with an optional object.
Compound Sentences
Compound sentences (oraciones compuestas) combine two or more independent clauses, usually linked by conjunctions.
- Example: María canta y Juan baila. (María sings, and Juan dances.)
- Common conjunctions: y (and), o (or), pero (but), ni (nor)
- Structure: Clause 1 + Conjunction + Clause 2
y, o, pero, and ni are used for compound sentences.
Complex Sentences
Complex sentences (oraciones complejas) contain one main clause and at least one subordinate clause.
- Example: María canta cuando llega a casa. (María sings when she gets home.)
- Subordinate clauses are introduced by conjunctions like: cuando (when), porque (because), aunque (although)
- Structure: Main Clause + Subordinate Clause
A complex sentence includes a main clause and a subordinate clause.
Conclusion
Spanish sentences can be simple, compound, or complex, each with distinct structures and connectors.
- Simple: One clause, one idea.
- Compound: Multiple main clauses joined by conjunctions.
- Complex: Main clause plus subordinate clause(s).
Simple, compound, and complex are core Spanish sentence structures.