Breakdown of Yo quiero tener éxito en la escuela.
yo
I
en
in
la escuela
the school
querer
to want
tener éxito
to succeed
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Questions & Answers about Yo quiero tener éxito en la escuela.
What does the sentence Yo quiero tener éxito en la escuela mean in English?
It means "I want to succeed in school" (or literally, "I want to have success in the school"). The sentence expresses a personal desire to achieve success within the context of school or academic life.
Why is the subject pronoun yo included when the verb conjugation quiero already indicates that the subject is “I”?
Spanish is a pro-drop language, which means that subject pronouns are often omitted when the verb form makes the subject clear. However, including yo can add emphasis or serve to contrast the subject with someone else, making it clear that it is I rather than another person.
Why is the verb tener in its infinitive form after quiero instead of being conjugated?
In Spanish, when expressing desires, you typically use the pattern [conjugated verb] + [infinitive]. Here, quiero means “I want” and it is directly followed by the infinitive tener (“to have”). This construction is similar to saying “I want to [verb]” in English.
What exactly does the phrase tener éxito mean, and why is this idiomatic expression used?
Tener éxito literally translates as "to have success". In Spanish, this is the common idiomatic way to express the idea of being successful, rather than using a direct verb equivalent to "to succeed." It’s a set phrase used to talk about achieving success in various contexts.
How is the prepositional phrase en la escuela structured, and why is the article la necessary?
The phrase en la escuela means "in school" or "at school". The preposition en indicates location, while the definite article la is used because escuela is a noun that, in standard speech, requires an article. This helps specify that the success is being sought within the educational institution referred to as la escuela.