Grammatical structure

Question

Is this sentence gramatically correct: "El tiempo que yo almuerzo es más temprano que el tiempo que los españoles almuerzan."

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

La hora que almuerzo es más temprano que la hora que los españoles almuerzan.

Or in Mexico: La hora que como la comida es más temprano que la hora que los españoles almuerzan.

Answer 2

Mi hora de almuerzo es más temprano que la de los españoles.

Thank you Clío! - pacofinkler, Nov 16, 2014

Answer 3

La hora cuando almuerzo es más temprana que la de los españoles.

This is almost the same as what Clio has offered. Just a difference in style. In looking at hers, I like hers better. ¡Enhorabuena, Clio! I think you made a typo, though, with "temprano" Did you mean this? I used the feminine temprana as an adjective, not temprano as an adverb? ¿Qué piensas? Para decirle la verdad yo puse "temprano" a mi primer intento.

Sí, usé la palabra "temprano" como adverbio de tiempo - Clío, Nov 17, 2014

I think that it is incorrect: I never have seen before the structure of the sentence "La hora cuando..", we used tu say "La hora a la que..." - txustaboy, Nov 17, 2014

More: The "hora" is not "temprana", the "hora" can be "anterior" but not "temprana". (I mean that you can´t use "temprana" in that way) - txustaboy, Nov 17, 2014

Answer 4

Hmm.. this is a tricky one.. What you've got isn't bad, but I'd say you're missing a few 'a's' at least, buuuut I'll leave it to a native or other fluent speaker to give the final answer. This is what I got:

"Es más temprano la hora a que almuerzo yo que la a que almuerzan los españoles."

(I don't think the word order switches are really necessary but the total does sound more 'Spanish' to me this way.)

Ah, you guys are right, it's better to make it shorter. I'm thinking in terms of grammar exercises, where sentences are less natural because they have to be a certain way for the student to practise with that sintactic structure. - Suzanne_Romijnders, Nov 17, 2014

Answer 5

La hora a la que almuerzo es más temprana que la hora a la que almuerzan los españoles.

But this way to give this information is not common in Spanish. A Spanish speaker would say:

Almorzamos más temprano que los españoles.

By the way, I want to clarify one word of this sentence:

In Spain "almorzar" generally is not the lunch. It is the meal between the breakfast and the lunch, so:

TIME English Spanish

7-10 Breakfast - Desayuno

10-12 ------------- - Almuerzo

14-15 Lunch - Comida

17-19 ----------- Merienda

21-23 Dinner - Cena

Not all the people do the five meals (I do only 2 or 3 maximum) but all have their own names.

Probably in Central and South America they eat at other time, but in Spain is in this way more or less.

Answer 6

For my ear, your sentence has a lot of unnecessary words that make it sound unnatural. I would say: Yo almuerzo más temprano que los españoles.

If you want to emphasize hour/time, you could say something similar to clio´s answer like: La hora de mi almuerzo es más temprana que la de los españoles.

For me your sentences are the only correct in all the post. People used to try to translate the sentence literally but sometimes it doesn't work. - txustaboy, Nov 17, 2014

Answer 7

Almuerzo antes de los españoles.