Breakdown of Cuando me apoyo en el codo siento alivio, pero la rodilla sigue doliendo.
yo
I
en
on
sentir
to feel
cuando
when
pero
but
doler
to hurt
seguir
to continue
el alivio
the relief
apoyarse
to lean
el codo
the elbow
la rodilla
the knee
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Questions & Answers about Cuando me apoyo en el codo siento alivio, pero la rodilla sigue doliendo.
Why does the sentence say me apoyo instead of just apoyo?
In Spanish apoyarse is a pronominal verb meaning to lean on. The me is the reflexive pronoun matching the subject yo. So me apoyo literally means I lean (on something). Without me, apoyo en el codo would mean I support something on the elbow, changing the meaning.
Why is en el codo used here, and could we say sobre el codo?
The verb apoyarse typically takes the preposition en to indicate what you are leaning on: apoyarse en. While sobre can sometimes mean on, with apoyarse the fixed combination is apoyarse en. Saying apoyo sobre el codo sounds less natural.
Why is there no que after cuando in this sentence?
In Spanish subordinate clauses introduced by cuando that express time do not require que. So Cuando me apoyo… is correct and adding que would be ungrammatical.
What does siento alivio literally mean, and why use sentir here?
sentir means to feel and alivio is relief. So siento alivio literally means I feel relief. We use sentir because you are describing a physical or emotional sensation. An alternative is me da alivio (it gives me relief), but siento alivio is more direct: I feel relief.
Why is pero used between the two clauses instead of y?
pero means but and introduces a contrast: you get relief when you lean on your elbow yet your knee still hurts. Using y (and) would link ideas without highlighting the opposing outcome.
What does sigue doliendo mean, and why do we use doliendo (the gerund)?
seguir + gerund expresses that an action or state continues. doliendo is the gerund of doler (to hurt). So sigue doliendo means it still hurts or it keeps hurting. You use the gerund with seguir to show continuation: sigue + [verb]-ando/-iendo.
Could I say todavía me duele la rodilla instead?
Yes. todavía me duele la rodilla is another natural way to say my knee still hurts. todavía means still and doler takes an indirect object pronoun (me) plus the noun subject (la rodilla). Both expressions are correct, but sigue doliendo emphasizes the ongoing nature with seguir + gerund.