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Questions & Answers about La preocupación causa estrés.
Why is la used before preocupación?
Preocupación is a feminine noun (nouns ending in -ción are feminine). Spanish often uses the definite article la before abstract nouns when expressing general truths.
Can we omit the article and say Preocupación causa estrés?
Although understandable, it sounds less natural. Spanish typically includes the definite article with abstract subjects: La preocupación causa estrés.
What part of speech is causa?
It’s the third-person singular present tense of the verb causar (“to cause”). Here, la preocupación causa means “worry causes.”
Could we use another verb instead of causar?
Yes. Common synonyms include provocar, generar and ocasionar. For example: La preocupación provoca estrés.
Why is there no el before estrés?
When referring to an unspecified amount of an abstract or uncountable noun, Spanish often omits the article: causa estrés means “causes stress” in general. Including el (as in La preocupación causa el estrés) makes it more specific.
What is the gender of estrés, and why?
Estrés is masculine: el estrés. Many words ending in -és are masculine in Spanish.
Why does estrés have an accent on é?
Because the stress falls on the last syllable (es-TRÉS) and it ends in -s; Spanish requires a written accent when the natural stress breaks its default rules.
How would I say “Stress is caused by worry” in passive voice?
Use ser + past participle + por:
El estrés es causado por la preocupación.
How can I include who experiences the stress?
Add an indirect object pronoun before causa:
La preocupación me causa estrés (“Worry causes me stress”). You can also use te, le, nos, les.
How do I make the sentence plural if there are multiple worries?
Use plural forms:
Las preocupaciones causan estrés.