You’d think the largest shopping center in the Caribbean would get this right. This Quick Quiz basic Spanish mistake is straight-forward. There’s only one mistake to find. Plus, a bonus: Identify a Speaking Latino local Spanish vocabulary word.
Take a look at the picture. Have you identified the error? How about the vocabulary discovery?
Ok, so the mistake is the word TERCERO in Tercero Piso. Numerical words that describe a sequence, such as first, second, third are called ordinals. When an ordinal is used with a noun (piso in this example) it is an adjective. In the case of adjectives that accompany masculine nouns (for example: piso, hombre, auto, coche, carro) primer and tercer (first and third) do not end in O. So for example, you would say tercer hombre or primer auto que compré, instead of tercero hombre or primero auto.
This does not apply for feminine nouns. La primera persona or la tercera vaca are grammatically correct. You would never say la primer persona or la tercer vaca.
BASIC SPANISH MISTAKE ANSWER: The correct word is TERCER for Tercer Piso.
SPEAKING LATINO BONUS: The word elevador for elevator is regional. Many countries use the word ascensor.
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