"And every time they are more numerous."
Translation:Y cada vez son más numerosos.
31 Comments
- 17
- 14
It is the same as if you use any other verb, the correct one to express this is "ser", even if they are both "to be" in English, "ser" and "estar" are not interchangeable.
- 23
I don't understand. The very nature of the sentence seems to scream for estar rather than ser. It is telling of a very dynamic condition.
- 17
- 14
The "temporary" versus "permanent" is a very general rule, it is a bit more complicated than that. In this case the only correct verb is "ser". I cannot tell you the grammatical rule because I do not know it, but I am a native Spanish speaker and I assure you that (in Spain) we would never say "están más numerosos".
- 23
Thanks Babella. If the use of ser is purely conventional that is certainly sufficient. The number one purpose of language is to allow people to understand one another.
- 17
- 14
You are welcome. And yes, I guess, but I always try to give some explanation if possible because it seems easier to understand why that way... Anyway, if someone else knows why "ser" is used in this case, it would be great if (s)he could tell us, right? ;]
- 16
- 7
- 3
- 3
- 3
I believe that ser is used because a number of things existing is a fixed quality in itself. It is not how it exists. I mean it IS numerous. If it was currently hot, cold, here, or there it would be described with estar. So, it's not HOW it is but THAT it is. This is my reasoning for using ser.
Here numerous describes a property/fact about the group (implied in "they") in the same way you could say the group is big. It's referred to as description or characteristic here: https://www.spanishdict.com/guide/ser-vs-estar
- 15
- 9
- 6
- 5
I think you'd need to say "todas las veces" if you want that, but "every time" is more commonly expressed as "cada vez".
- 25
- 24
- 23
- 11
- 8
- 6
- 6
- 3
- 1412
I said 'todas las veces' and it was marked wrong.
I get it is less common, but is it outright wrong?
- 25
- 14
- 8
- 194
The implication is different in a small way. I will try to explain.
Todas las veces implies a set of times, so you are talking about group of times.
***Think "All the time".
cada vez indicates every individual time that something happens, and the implication of the lesson phrase is that they are talking about every observed time, so cada vez is the better phrase.
***Think "Every time".
- 25
- 24
- 23
- 11
- 8
- 6
- 6
- 3
- 1412
It's subtle, but I think I see what you mean. In English, "all the time" means frequently, but not quite "always", while "each time" or "every time" are more literal. But the emphasis is on the individual instances, more so than just saying "always". Does the parallel still hold for "todas las veces" vs "cada vez"? I appreciate your help.
- 25
- 14
- 8
- 194
I believe that would be right in most circumstances. So Todas las veces is a more general observation than Cada vez, and although they can both be used to make the same observation the meaning is shaded differently as you described.
- 15
- 9
- 6
- 5
There are two ways to translate "time" in Spanish: "vez" and "tiempo". You have to be careful in choosing the right one. "Vez" is time as in "instance/occasion", while "tiempo" is time as in "duration" or a clock's time, which wouldn't be the correct choice here.
- 12
- 5
why is 'y cada vez ELLAS son mas numerosos' when 'y cada vez ELLOS son mas numerosos' is correct?
- 15
- 9
- 6
- 5
It's simply word order, it doesn't change the meaning too much, but it's simply not what they want.
- 13
- 9
- 5
- 2
- 2
"Y cada vez" sounds like the kind of clauses / phrases we need to learn more of in Duolingo