Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Gracias a mi mentora y a mis amigos de la red social, ya no me siento tan tímido y me llevo mejor con otras personas. - Thanks to my mentor and my friends on the social network, I no longer feel so shy and I get along better with other people.

You could technically drop the second a (“Gracias a mi mentora y mis amigos”), and many native speakers do in casual speech, but repeating a before mis amigos is clearer and more careful Spanish, especially in writing.

Do I always need to repeat “a” before each person in a list, like “a mi mentora y a mis amigos”?

No, you don’t have to, but it’s often recommended for clarity and style.

Both are possible:

Gracias a mi mentora y a mis amigos ✅ (clear, careful)
Gracias a mi mentora y mis amigos ✅ (common in speech, still acceptable)

Repeating the preposition is especially helpful when each element has its own article or modifier:

Hablé con el profesor y con la directora.
Voy a ayudar a mi hermano y a mi mejor amiga.

So in your sentence it’s a stylistic choice, and the repeated a sounds neat and clear.

Why is it “mentora” and not “mentor”?

Spanish usually marks grammatical gender, especially for people:

el mentor = male mentor
la mentora = female mentor

So mi mentora implies the mentor is a woman.

In many parts of Latin America this feminine form mentora is normal and understood. If the mentor were a man, you’d say mi mentor.

What exactly does “red social” mean? Is it the same as “social media”?

Red social literally means “social network.” In practice, it usually refers to a social media platform (like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.).

la red social = the social network / the social media site
las redes sociales = social media (in general)

So mis amigos de la red social likely means “my friends from the social network (app/site) we use.” If you want to sound more general, you might also see en las redes sociales = “on social media.”

Why do we say “ya no me siento tan tímido” instead of just “no me siento tan tímido” or “ya me siento tan tímido”?

no me siento tan tímido = “I don’t feel so shy” (neutral, no time change implied)
ya no me siento tan tímido = “I no longer feel so shy / I don’t feel so shy anymore”

The combination ya no means “no longer / not anymore.” It implies a change from the past:

Before: I did feel very shy.
Now: I no longer feel so shy.

ya me siento tan tímido would mean “now I do feel so shy”, which is the opposite idea.

Why is it “me siento tan tímido” and not “estoy tan tímido”?

Both sentirse and estar can be used for feelings, but they’re used differently:

sentirse + adjective focuses on how you feel inside:
- Me siento tímido. = “I feel shy.”
estar + adjective can describe a state, which can sometimes sound more external or situational:
- Estoy tímido hoy. = “I am shy today” (a shy mood today, though it’s not impossible).

In the sentence, me siento tan tímido emphasizes the internal emotional experience: “I feel so shy.” That’s the most natural choice here.

Also note the reflexive form:

sentir = to feel (something)
- Siento frío. = I feel cold.
sentirse = to feel (a certain way)
- Me siento tímido. = I feel shy.

Why is there a “me” in “me siento”? Can I just say “siento tímido”?

You must use the reflexive pronoun with sentirse:

Me siento tímido. ✅ (correct)
Siento tímido. ❌ (incorrect)

Think of it this way:

sentir = to feel something (you need an object):
- Siento miedo. = I feel fear.
- Siento frío. = I feel cold.
sentirse + adjective = to feel in a certain state:
- Me siento tímido. = I feel shy.
- Me siento bien. = I feel good.

So with adjectives like tímido, cansado, triste, you use me siento.

What does “me llevo mejor con otras personas” literally mean? I only know llevar as “to carry” or “to take”.

You’re right that llevar can mean “to carry / to take,” but llevarse (reflexive) has a different, idiomatic meaning:

llevarse bien con alguien = to get along well with someone
llevarse mal con alguien = to get along badly / not get along with someone

So:

Me llevo mejor con otras personas.
Literally: “I carry myself better with other people.”
Meaning: “I get along better with other people.”

The me is part of the reflexive verb llevarse in this sense. You can’t drop it.

Why is it “me llevo mejor con otras personas” and not just “me llevo mejor con otros”?

Both are possible:

Me llevo mejor con otras personas.
Slightly more explicit: “with other people.”
Me llevo mejor con otros.
Shorter, “with others.”

In your sentence, otras personas emphasizes “other people (in general),” not just “other [unspecified things].” It sounds a bit clearer and more natural in this context, especially for learners.

How does “me llevo mejor con” compare to English “I get along better with”?

They line up very well:

Me llevo bien con Juan. = I get along well with Juan.
No me llevo bien con mis vecinos. = I don’t get along with my neighbors.
Ahora me llevo mejor con otras personas. = Now I get along better with other people.

Structure to remember:

llevarse (bien/mal/mejor/peor) con + person

Why is it “tan tímido” and not “tanto tímido”? How does tan work here?

tan is used with adjectives and adverbs to mean “so / so much / that …”:

tan tímido = so shy
tan alto = so tall
tan rápido = so fast

tanto is used with nouns:

tanto dinero = so much money
tantas personas = so many people

So:

No me siento tan tímido. = I don’t feel so shy. ✅
No me siento tanto tímido. ❌ (incorrect)

Why is the adjective “tímido” masculine? Would a woman say “tímida” instead?

Yes. Adjectives in Spanish usually agree in gender and number with the subject:

If the speaker is male:
- No me siento tan tímido.
If the speaker is female:
- No me siento tan tímida.

Same with plural:

Ellos no se sienten tan tímidos. (they, masculine/mixed group)
Ellas no se sienten tan tímidas. (they, all women)

So the ending changes depending on who is speaking.

Why is it “mis amigos” and not “mis amigas” or something gender-neutral?

In Spanish:

amigos can mean “male friends” or “a mixed group of male and female friends.”
amigas specifically means “female friends.”

So:

mis amigos = my friends (all male or mixed group)
mis amigas = my friends (all female)

Traditional Spanish uses the masculine plural as the default for mixed or unspecified groups. Some people now use alternative forms (like amig@s, amigxs, amigues) in writing to be gender-neutral, but those are informal and not standard grammar yet.

Can I move “ya” to the end and say “No me siento tan tímido ya”?

Yes, “No me siento tan tímido ya” is grammatically correct and understandable, but in most Latin American speech:

Ya no me siento tan tímido is more natural and more common.

Ya no + verb is the default pattern for “no longer / not anymore.” Putting ya at the end can sound a bit more colloquial or emphasize the “now/anymore” part, but for learners, ya no + verb is the safest and most natural choice.

Is this sentence formal or informal Spanish? Would it sound natural in Latin America?

The sentence is neutral and informal, and it sounds natural in Latin American Spanish:

Uses everyday vocabulary: mentora, amigos, red social, tímido, llevarse mejor.
No formal pronouns (usted) or slang.

You could use it in a casual conversation, on social media, or even in a personal email. It’s not slangy, but it’s clearly not very formal either—perfect for normal spoken Latin American Spanish.