Look at the sentence below and explain in English why the underlined portion is incorrect.

Una la computadora está en mi mochila.

1 answer

In the sentence "Una la computadora está en mi mochila," the phrase "una la computadora" is incorrect because it combines two articles ("una" and "la") in a way that is not grammatically acceptable in Spanish.

"Una" means "a" or "one" (indefinite article), while "la" means "the" (definite article). You should use either "una computadora" (for "a computer") or "la computadora" (for "the computer"), but not both together.

The correct versions would be:

  • "Una computadora está en mi mochila." (A computer is in my backpack.)
  • "La computadora está en mi mochila." (The computer is in my backpack.)

Choose one article based on whether you are referring to a specific computer or any computer in general.