Siento celos cuando mi amigo habla con otra persona.

I feel jealous when my friend speaks with another person.

Breakdown of Siento celos cuando mi amigo habla con otra persona.

• yo: I
• hablar: to speak
• con: with
• mi: my

Questions & Answers about Siento celos cuando mi amigo habla con otra persona.

Why is siento used instead of tengo?

While you can say tengo celos (I have jealousy), using siento celos (I feel jealousy) emphasizes the emotional experience. Tengo states possession or an ongoing state; siento highlights the feeling in the moment.

Why isn’t the article los used before celos?

Abstract emotions in Spanish generally drop the article: siento celos, tengo miedo, siento vergüenza. Adding los (as in siento los celos) sounds unnatural unless you’re referring to a very specific instance of jealousy already mentioned.

Why is the verb after cuando in the indicative (habla) instead of the subjunctive?

When cuando introduces a habitual or factual action, use the indicative: cuando mi amigo habla con otra persona means “whenever he talks with someone else.” You switch to the subjunctive (cuando hable) for future or hypothetical events: for example, Te llamaré cuando hable con él (“I’ll call you when I speak with him”).

Could I say me da celos instead of siento celos?

Yes. Me da celos literally means “it gives me jealousy” and is extremely common in Latin America. It’s equivalent in meaning to siento celos or me pone celoso.