Вообще-то мы обычно хорошо ладим, и именно поэтому мне было неловко с ней спорить.

In this sentence, вообще-то means something like actually, generally speaking, or in fact.

It often adds a mild contrast with what follows or with the surrounding context. Here it suggests:

• Normally / generally, we get along well
• so the disagreement felt unusual or awkward

It is a very common conversational word, and its exact English translation depends on context.

Ладим is the 1st person plural form of the verb ладить.

• ладить = to get along, to be on good terms, to get on well
• мы ладим = we get along
• мы обычно хорошо ладим = we usually get along well

A very literal breakdown would be:

• мы = we
• обычно = usually
• хорошо = well
• ладим = get along

So the phrase means we usually get along well.

Because the sentence contains two different time perspectives:

1. мы обычно хорошо ладим describes a general habitual fact:
   we usually get along well

2. мне было неловко с ней спорить describes a specific past situation or feeling:
   I felt awkward arguing with her

So Russian uses:

• present tense for a general truth or usual pattern
• past tense for what was felt in that particular situation

This is completely natural.

They do different jobs:

• обычно = usually → how often
• хорошо = well → how successfully / what the relationship is like

So:

• мы обычно ладим = we usually get along
• мы хорошо ладим = we get along well
• мы обычно хорошо ладим = we usually get along well

Using both gives the full idea: it is both habitual and positive.

Поэтому means therefore / that’s why / so.

Именно поэтому is stronger and more emphatic. It means something like:

• precisely for that reason
• that is exactly why

So in this sentence:

• и поэтому = and so / and that’s why
• и именно поэтому = and that is exactly why

The word именно highlights the cause very clearly.

Because неловко here does not mean clumsy. It means awkward, uncomfortable, or embarrassing emotionally.

Russian often uses this pattern:

• мне было + adverb/state word

to express how someone felt.

So:

• мне было неловко = I felt awkward / it was awkward for me
• literally: to me it was awkward

By contrast:

• я был неловкий would describe me as a clumsy / awkward person, which is a different meaning

So мне было неловко is the correct structure here.

Because Russian often expresses feelings and states with the dative case of the experiencer.

So:

• мне было неловко = it was awkward for me
• мне было трудно = it was difficult for me
• мне было грустно = I was sad
• мне было холодно = I was cold

This is a very common pattern in Russian. English usually uses I felt... or I was..., but Russian often uses to me it was...

In structures like мне было неловко, the past-tense form is often a default neuter singular form:

• было

This happens because the sentence does not have a normal subject like я controlling the verb agreement. Instead, it is an impersonal-type construction:

• мне было неловко = it was awkward for me

So было is the normal form here.

Because the verb спорить normally takes с + instrumental when meaning to argue with someone.

So:

• спорить с кем? = to argue with whom?
• с ней = with her

Examples:

• спорить с другом = to argue with a friend
• спорить с мамой = to argue with mom
• спорить с ней = to argue with her

So ей спорить would not be the normal pattern for this meaning.

Because с in the meaning with requires the instrumental case.

The pronoun она changes like this:

• nominative: она = she
• accusative: её / ее
• dative: ей
• instrumental: ней

Since спорить с кем? uses the instrumental, we get:

• с ней = with her

This is a very common Russian pattern:

• кому-то было + adjective/adverb/state word + infinitive

It means:

• it was [state] for someone to do something

So:

• мне было неловко спорить = it was awkward for me to argue
• мне было трудно понять = it was hard for me to understand
• ей было приятно это слышать = it was pleasant for her to hear that

The infinitive спорить names the action that felt awkward.

Спорить is the imperfective verb, and it is natural here because the sentence refers to the action in a general way: arguing / to argue.

After words like неловко, трудно, приятно, интересно, Russian very often uses the infinitive to describe the action as an activity or process.

Using поспорить would sound more like to have an argument once / to argue for a bit, which is more specific. In this sentence, the focus is not on completing one argument, but on the uncomfortable act of arguing with her.

The word order is natural and expressive, but not every part is completely fixed.

The sentence is:

• Вообще-то мы обычно хорошо ладим, и именно поэтому мне было неловко с ней спорить.

Why this order works well:

• Вообще-то sets the tone first: actually / generally
• мы обычно хорошо ладим gives the background
• именно поэтому strongly connects cause and result
• мне было неловко с ней спорить gives the emotional result

Russian word order is flexible, but this version sounds smooth and natural. If you moved parts around, the meaning would stay similar, but the emphasis might change.

Yes, that is a very good translation.

A few natural English versions are:

• Actually, we usually get along well, and that’s exactly why I felt awkward arguing with her.
• We generally get on well, and that’s precisely why it felt awkward to argue with her.
• Normally we get along well, and that’s why I was uncomfortable arguing with her.

All of these capture the Russian well.