Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Necesito descanso después de correr cada día.

In Spanish you can express “to rest” either by using the infinitive descansar (“Necesito descansar…”) or by using the noun descanso (“Necesito descanso…”). Using the noun emphasises the concept of rest as a thing you need—a break or period of rest. Using the infinitive focuses on the action of resting. Both are correct, but “Necesito descansar…” is more common in spoken language.

Why isn’t there an article before descanso? Could I say “Necesito un descanso…”?

Descanso in this sentence is an uncountable noun meaning “rest.” When you refer to rest in general, you usually omit the article: “Necesito descanso…” If you want to mean “a break,” you can use the countable sense with an article: “Necesito un descanso.”

Why do we have después de correr and not just después correr?

“Después de” is a fixed prepositional phrase meaning “after.” Spanish prepositions must be followed by an infinitive if you want to use a verb: después de + correr. You cannot drop the de in this structure.

Why is correr in the infinitive form rather than a conjugated verb?

After a preposition (in this case de), Spanish always uses the infinitive form of the verb. That’s why it’s correr and not a subject-conjugated form like “corro” or “corres.”

What’s the difference between cada día and todos los días?

Both mean “every day.” Cada día literally means “each day,” and todos los días means “all the days.” They are interchangeable in most contexts. Todos los días is slightly more common in Latin American Spanish for habitual actions.

Why does día have an accent mark? Why not just “dia”?

In Spanish, día is a hiato (two separate vowel sounds: dí-a). To show that the i and a are pronounced in separate syllables, Spanish uses an accent mark. Without it (“dia”), the vowels would form a single syllable or break the stress rules.

Can I change the word order to Después de correr cada día, necesito descanso?

Yes. You can front the adverbial phrase después de correr cada día for emphasis or style. Spanish allows flexible word order in many cases without changing the meaning.