Breakdown of Mi primo no quiere molestar a su hermano, pero a veces le quita el juego sin permiso.
mi
my
el hermano
the brother
su
his
a veces
sometimes
a
to
el primo
the cousin
querer
to want
sin
without
pero
but
no
not
el juego
the game
,
comma
molestar
to bother
quitar
to take
el permiso
the permission
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Questions & Answers about Mi primo no quiere molestar a su hermano, pero a veces le quita el juego sin permiso.
What is the function of the indirect object pronoun le in the sentence?
In the phrase quitarle el juego, the pronoun le indicates the person from whom the game is taken—in this case, his brother. Spanish verbs such as quitar are often used in a construction where the person affected by the action is marked by an indirect object pronoun (following the pattern quitarle algo a alguien). This construction shows that though the cousin doesn't intend to bother his brother, he is still taking his game.
Why is a veces used in the second clause, and what does it indicate?
The term a veces means “sometimes” and is used to specify that the action of taking the game without permission does not happen all the time—it occurs occasionally. Placing a veces before the verb quita emphasizes the intermittent nature of this behavior.
What does the phrase sin permiso mean, and how is it applied in this context?
Sin permiso translates directly as “without permission.” In the sentence, it explains that the cousin takes his brother’s game without asking or receiving approval. This expression clarifies the manner in which the action is performed, highlighting that it is done without consent.
How can the contrast between “not wanting to bother his brother” and “taking his game without permission” be interpreted?
The sentence sets up an interesting contrast: although mi primo no quiere molestar a su hermano (he doesn’t want to bother his brother), he sometimes ends up quitarle el juego sin permiso (taking the game without asking). This juxtaposition suggests an inconsistency between his intentions and his actions, possibly indicating that even well-intentioned behavior can inadvertently lead to annoyance. It’s a subtle way of showing that sometimes actions contradict stated intentions.
Could you explain the grammatical structure of quitarle el juego in terms of direct and indirect objects?
Certainly! In quitarle el juego, the verb quitar has two components:
• The direct object, el juego, is the thing that is taken away.
• The indirect object, represented by le, indicates from whom the game is taken.
This structure follows the common Spanish pattern quitarle algo a alguien (“to take something away from someone”) and helps clearly assign the roles of the objects in the sentence.