Where Does Pluto Fit in Our Solar System?
A short Spanish A2 reading follows a disagreement about Pluto while introducing the eight planets and Pluto’s dwarf-planet classification.
Los planetas de nuestro sistema solar
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About this article
What you'll learn
Spanish planet names, comparisons with más... que, and vocabulary for describing the solar system.
Leo thinks his sister’s poster is missing Pluto. As they review the planets, the reading explains why Pluto is classified as a dwarf planet.
After reading
Article learning block
Phrases, words, grammar, and quick practice from this text.
Phrases for training
Add useful phrases to SRS or mark them as already known.
En el centro del sistema solar está el Sol
newIn the center of the solar system is the Sun
Shows the structure "in the center... is/are".
Useful for describing locations.
Alrededor del Sol giran ocho planetas
newEight planets orbit around the Sun
Structure "around... orbit".
For describing orbital movement.
Los planetas se mueven en órbitas alrededor del Sol
newThe planets move in orbits around the Sun
Moverse is reflexive: se mueven = they move. Compare girar (to turn) and la órbita (orbit).
The movement verbs this article is built on.
Es casi del mismo tamaño que la Tierra
newIt is almost the same size as Earth
Comparison structure "the same size as".
For comparing things.
Marte es conocido como el planeta rojo
newMars is known as the Red Planet
Structure "known as".
Useful for describing famous facts.
El sistema solar es nuestro vecindario en el universo
newThe solar system is our neighborhood in the universe
Metaphorical use of "neighborhood".
Expands vocabulary.
Key words
Vocabulary that carries the school-day topic.
planet
el planeta
planet
Masculine even though it ends in -a: el planeta, los planetas. Same trap: el día, el problema, el sistema.
Nouns of Greek origin ending in -a take el, not la.
it is very hot
hace mucho calor
it is very hot
Weather takes hacer, not ser or estar: hace calor, hace frío, hace sol.
Saying "es caliente" about the weather is the classic mistake.
star
la estrella
star
Feminine noun: la estrella. The Sun is a star, not a planet.
Tells a star apart from a planet.
to turn, to orbit
girar
to turn, to orbit
Regular -ar verb: gira (one thing), giran (several). Girar alrededor de = to go around something.
The verb the whole article turns on.
to take (time) to
tardar en
to take (time) to
tardar + time + en + infinitive: tarda ocho minutos en llegar. The en cannot be dropped.
The normal way to say how long something takes.
Grammar in context
Patterns from the text worth noticing after reading.
The verb ser in the present
El Sol es una estrella gigante
The Sun is a giant star
Ser gives identity and lasting description: "is". Estar, by contrast, gives states and location.
The first verb to learn, and the one confused with estar.
Superlative: más + adjective
Es el planeta más cercano al Sol
It is the planet closest to the Sun
Formula: el/la/los/las + más + adjective. So más cercano = closest, más grande = biggest.
How Spanish builds every superlative.
The construction hay + noun
Hay asteroides y cometas
There are asteroids and comets
Hay is invariable: "there is" and "there are" are the same word. Hay un cinturón, hay millones de rocas.
One single form to say that something exists.
Adjective + para + infinitive
Es un lugar difícil para visitar
It is a difficult place to visit
Adjective + para + infinitive says what the thing is like for doing something: difícil para visitar, bueno para ver.
Useful for describing a place or an object.
vosotros: speaking to a group in Spain
podéis observar
you can watch (all of you)
Peninsular Spanish has a plural "you": podéis, necesitáis, queréis, sabéis. The ending always carries the accent. Its command form ends in -d: escribid, buscad.
This whole text speaks to you in vosotros; without it the endings look like errors.
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