Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Quiero agradecer a mis padres por su apoyo; sin ellos, no habría estudiado tanto. - I want to thank my parents for their support; without them, I would not have studied so much.

Both expressions mean “to thank,” but agradecer is a direct transitive verb that emphasizes the act of expressing gratitude in a more formal or succinct way. Dar las gracias is a set phrase (“to give thanks”) that is also common in everyday speech. Using agradecer can suit more formal contexts and written language, which is why it appears in this sentence.

Why is the preposition a used in a mis padres?

In Spanish, when the direct object is a person, it often requires the “personal a.” This helps clarify that the speaker is thanking people—in this case, their parents. So agradecer a mis padres clearly indicates who is the recipient of the gratitude.

What role does por su apoyo play in the sentence?

Por su apoyo explains the reason or cause for the gratitude. The preposition por is typically used in Spanish to indicate “because of” or “due to.” Here, it shows that the speaker’s thanks are directed toward their parents specifically because of the support they provided.

How is the phrase sin ellos, no habría estudiado tanto constructed, and what does it express?

This phrase sets up a counterfactual or hypothetical situation. Sin ellos means “without them,” and the use of the conditional perfect tense in no habría estudiado tanto (“I would not have studied so much”) indicates that the speaker’s extensive studying depended on their parents’ support. It expresses that, in the absence of that support, the outcome (studying as much) would not have been possible.

Why is the conditional perfect tense used in no habría estudiado tanto instead of the simple past?

The conditional perfect—formed here as habría estudiado—is used to convey a hypothetical past outcome that did not occur because a certain condition (in this case, having their support) was met. This tense highlights that, without their parents’ support, the speaker’s studying would have been considerably less. It’s a common structure for expressing counterfactual scenarios in Spanish.

Why is a semicolon used to separate the two parts of the sentence?

The semicolon is used to connect two closely related independent clauses. The first clause expresses the speaker’s intention to thank their parents, while the second clause explains the hypothetical consequence of not having their support. By using a semicolon, the writer indicates that the two ideas are linked, yet each could stand as its own complete sentence.