Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Tengo el derecho de descansar después de trabajar.

Because derecho often pairs with de before an infinitive. In Spanish, certain nouns that imply a right or an obligation are followed by the preposition de when they come before a verb in its infinitive form.

Is it always derecho de, or can it sometimes be derecho a?

Both are possible, but the usage may vary based on personal preference, region, or context. You’ll often see derecho a as well, especially with the sense of having a right to something (like a noun), but derecho de plus an infinitive is also quite common and correct.

Why do we use the infinitive form descansar here rather than a conjugated verb like descanso?

In Spanish, after a preposition, you typically use the infinitive form of the verb. Since descansar follows the preposition de, it stays in the infinitive.

Why do we say después de trabajar instead of just después trabajar?

The phrase después de literally means after something, and in Spanish, you need de before the infinitive to form this type of construction. It’s a fixed expression: después de + infinitive.

Could we say tengo que descansar instead of tengo el derecho de descansar?

You could say tengo que descansar, but that means I have to rest (an obligation). Tengo el derecho de descansar conveys I have the right to rest, which highlights it as a right or entitlement rather than just a necessity.