Breakdown of Tengo miedo de no aprobar el examen, pero me esfuerzo para estudiar.
yo
I
de
of
tener
to have
para
for
estudiar
to study
pero
but
no
not
,
comma
el miedo
the fear
aprobar
to pass
el examen
the exam
esforzarse
to make an effort
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Questions & Answers about Tengo miedo de no aprobar el examen, pero me esfuerzo para estudiar.
What does tengo miedo de mean in this sentence?
Tengo miedo de translates literally as “I’m afraid of” or “I have fear of.” In this sentence, it introduces the idea that the speaker is worried about something—in this case, the possibility of not passing the exam.
Why is the phrase no aprobar el examen in the infinitive form, and how is it structured?
The phrase no aprobar el examen uses the infinitive form aprobar because it follows the preposition de in the expression tener miedo de. In Spanish, when a verb follows a preposition, it remains in the infinitive. Additionally, the word no negates the action, so the speaker is expressing fear of “not passing” the exam.
What role does the reflexive pronoun me play in me esfuerzo para estudiar?
The reflexive pronoun me indicates that the speaker is performing the action on themselves. With the verb esforzarse (to make an effort or to strive), the pronoun is necessary to show that the effort is being personally applied. Thus, me esfuerzo para estudiar means “I make an effort to study” or “I push myself to study.”
Why is the subject pronoun (such as yo) omitted in this sentence?
In Spanish, the verb conjugations already include information about the subject. Since both tengo (from tener) and me esfuerzo (from esforzar) are conjugated in the first person singular, the subject yo (“I”) is understood and does not need to be explicitly stated. This omission makes the sentence more natural and succinct.
What is the function of the conjunction pero in the sentence?
The conjunction pero means “but” and is used to connect and contrast two ideas. In this sentence, it links the worry about failing the exam with the determination to study. The use of pero highlights that, despite the fear expressed in the first clause, the speaker is actively working to overcome it by putting in effort to study.