3

Consider the following sentence:

A and B are the same.

The verb here agrees in number with the subject, which is why we use are instead of is. Does this happen in Spanish too? Which of the following is correct:

A y B es lo mismo

A y B son lo mismo

fedorqui
  • 34,063
  • 114
  • 271
  • 434
TheLearner
  • 5,411
  • 13
  • 52
  • 98

1 Answers1

3

The second option is the correct one:

A y B es lo mismo
A y B son lo mismo

From the article about concordancia (concord?) in the Diccionario Panhispánico de Dudas:

concordancia.

(...)

2. Reglas generales

a) La coordinación de dos o más sustantivos o pronombres en singular, siempre que cada uno de ellos se refiera a un ente distinto, forma un grupo que concuerda en plural con el adjetivo o el pronombre, o con el verbo del que son sujeto: «Rehogar la cebolla y la zanahoria picadas durante quince minutos» (Pozuelo/PzPérez Técnicas [Esp. 2001]); «El oxígeno, el hidrógeno y el carbono los proporciona el medio» (LpzTorres Horticultura [Méx. 1994]); «La sal y el agua son gratis» (Martínez Evita [Arg. 1995]).

Community
  • 1
fedorqui
  • 34,063
  • 114
  • 271
  • 434
  • 1
    Glad you answered because my question comes from one of yours (http://spanish.stackexchange.com/questions/17650/es-lo-mismo-un-modismo-y-una-frase-idiomática-y-una-expresión-fija) where you have used es lo mismo in a similar construct. – TheLearner Sep 08 '16 at 06:28
  • I'm sorry but I have to say it: Bazinga! :-) – Charlie Sep 08 '16 at 07:29
  • 1
    @TheLearner the title there is ¿Es lo mismo un modismo y una frase idiomática? ¿Y una expresión fija?. I have to admit I am not very sure if it is ok, although it sounds good to me. Un modismo y una frase son lo mismo would be the correct form to answer it. However, when asking it, you can see it as if I am omitting "decir": ¿Es lo mismo [decir] A y B? in which case it is fine. I will wait for others to clarify it :) – fedorqui Sep 08 '16 at 08:10
  • 2
    @fedorqui as the question is stated, the proper form would be ¿Son lo mismo A y B? Your claim would be valid if the question was stated as ¿Es lo mismo [decir] A que [decir] B? Note the que instead of y. – Charlie Sep 08 '16 at 08:29
  • @CarlosAlejo OK. When you mean the proper form, does it mean that the way I wrote is directly wrong? Just to clarify, because it does not sound that bad to me :) – fedorqui Sep 08 '16 at 08:30
  • 3
    @fedorqui I know, it happens often that something sounds right to us Spanish speakers, but it does not mean it is the gramatically correct way to write it. Remember that discussion about the use of "debiera" instead of "debería". All in all, I think you have written here your own answer when you said that only the second option A y B son lo mismo is correct. Maybe a good question is why does it sound right to us? – Charlie Sep 08 '16 at 08:41
  • 1
    @CarlosAlejo splendid answer and splendid comment. Noted and updated the title of the question :) – fedorqui Sep 08 '16 at 08:47
  • 1
    @TheLearner so after the interesting discussion here I updated the title. It is funny I was explaining how a thing was, while doing it wrong in another place :O – fedorqui Sep 08 '16 at 08:51