¿La puerta abierto?

Question

Okay, I may have to dump my Spanish tutor.

Yesterday, I said "Cada día dejo las puertas abiertas porque me gusta el aire."

She said, "Muchas veces se dice-puerta abierto- en vez de -abierta."

Of course, I refused to accept a feminine noun with a masculine adjective, but she held on to her position "Sometimes we say that....what can I tell you!"

Has anyone else heard of this?

Answer 1

I'll chop my right hand off if that is correct (as it is). "Abierto" is, using Spanish grammar terminology, a "predicativo", and it must agree in number and gender with the subject or direct object it complements, and in number with the verb.

A different thing would be something like this twisted example:

Me olvidé de la puerta, abierto ya todo lo que quería abrir.

Thanks, I'll stick to my guns and refuse to follow the mistaken crowd! - --Mariana--, Aug 13, 2011

Answer 2

This sounds a lot like someone who insists on using an incorrect form because of a misinterpretation of a correction made long ago. E.g., told that "Bill and me played ball" is wrong, it should be "Bill and I", that person will henceforth insist on "the boss gave Bill and I a raise". Did someone tell the tutor than mixing the genders "would not prevent comprehension"? So now the tutor thinks it is okay?

Me and my friend see that you discovered some of my favorite pet peeves, and told him and myself - :p - pesta, Aug 13, 2011

Answer 3

Another possibility is to go back to Medieval Spanish and say:

Habían ya la puerta abierto (i.e. "Habían abierto ya la puerta")

which sounds like Yoda nowadays, but this "abierto" is part of the verb, not a modifier of "puerta".

Jejeje! I think I'll stick to the standard, correct, modern Spanish. - --Mariana--, Aug 13, 2011

Answer 4

I think she means in the streets it is acceptable, not that it is grammatically correct. That could be true just not helpful. You can hear tense, gender, number, etc. mismatching in the street everyday. I wouldn't use it but it may be helpful to keep it in mind.

Good point. - --Mariana--, Aug 13, 2011

Well, I can't say that people in Guatemala do not say such a thing in the streets, but I would dare to bet that over 95% of the people in the streets would never say that (in the countries where Spanish is the official language) - lazarus1907, Aug 13, 2011

I agree, especially where Spanish is not only the official language but it is their second language (taught in schools by Spanish natives) - --Mariana--, Aug 13, 2011

Oh yeah. Anyone taught will probably not do this. I meant streets as in people who didn't go to school. - bafalck, Aug 13, 2011

excellent point - mountaingirl123, Aug 13, 2011

Answer 5

"La Puerta Abierto" is apparently the name of a church

Really? - --Mariana--, Aug 13, 2011

Yep. It has locations in California and Columbia and probably other places as well. - lorenzo9, Aug 13, 2011

"La puerta he abierto", maybe? - lazarus1907, Aug 13, 2011

Do a web search on "puerto abierto": the church shows up among the erroneous posts, including some that say the word for door is "puerto" - lorenzo9, Aug 13, 2011

Answer 6

Did someone tell the tutor than mixing the genders "would not prevent comprehension"? So now the tutor thinks it is okay?

No, she just said that "People sometimes say 'puerta abierto' instead of 'abierta'" and that both are acceptable here in Guatemala.

I simply refused to accept that as correct and posted this question to make sure I was doing the right thing. :p