De Bajo De?

Samantha S.B2Kwiziq community member

De Bajo De?

When do you use “de bajo de” versus just “bajo” for under? Also why does lobster not have the definite article? Thanks.

Asked 1 week ago
SilviaKwiziq Native Spanish TeacherCorrect answer

Hola Samantha S.

"Bajo" is a simple preposition meaning 'under' or 'beneath' and is often used with abstract concepts or as a direct preposition.

For example:

Está bajo el puente. (It's under the bridge.)
Vive bajo presión. (He/She lives under pressure.)

"Debajo de" is a compound preposition that explicitly means 'underneath' something and is usually followed by "de" + a noun.

For example:

Está debajo de la mesa. (It's underneath the table.)

So, "debajo de" is more specific and commonly used for physical locations, while "bajo" can have a broader usage.

On the other hand, in Spanish, when talking about general categories of food, animals, or materials, the definite article (el/la/los/las) is often omitted after verbs like "comer", "comprar", or "sugerir", unless we are referring to something specific.

For example:

El chef sugirió langosta y un buen vino. (The chef suggested lobster and a good wine.) → General reference, no article needed.
El chef sugirió la langosta que preparó hoy. (The chef suggested the lobster he prepared today.) → Specific reference, so we use "la".

Let us know if you need more clarification! 😊

Saludos

Silvia

Samantha S. asked:

De Bajo De?

When do you use “de bajo de” versus just “bajo” for under? Also why does lobster not have the definite article? Thanks.

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