Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): A veces no tengo ganas de estudiar, pero igual abro el libro y leo un poco. - Sometimes I don’t feel like studying, but I still open the book and read a bit.

It’s a very common everyday way to talk about wanting or not wanting to do something, especially in terms of mood or motivation, not just a rational decision.

Why is it no tengo ganas de estudiar and not no quiero estudiar? Are they the same?

They are similar, but not identical in nuance:

no tengo ganas de estudiar
- Focus: mood, energy, motivation.
- Meaning: I don’t feel like studying, I’m not in the mood to study.
no quiero estudiar
- Focus: will, decision.
- Meaning: I don’t want to study (more direct, sometimes stronger).

In many contexts you can use either, but tener ganas de often sounds a bit softer and more about how you feel inside, while querer is a clearer statement of will.

Why is there a de before estudiar in tengo ganas de estudiar?

In Spanish, the expression is fixed as:

tener ganas de + infinitive

The de is required; it links ganas with the action:

tengo ganas de comer – I feel like eating
tienen ganas de salir – they feel like going out

Without de, it would sound ungrammatical to native speakers. So you can think of tener ganas de as one chunk.

Why is estudiar in the infinitive and not conjugated?

After tener ganas de, the verb that follows stays in the infinitive:

tengo ganas de estudiar – I feel like studying
tienes ganas de dormir – you feel like sleeping

Spanish uses infinitives after many expressions with prepositions (like de, a, para, por), similar to English patterns like before eating, after working.

Why does the sentence start with A veces? Could I put it somewhere else?

A veces means sometimes. Starting with it is very natural:

A veces no tengo ganas de estudiar...

You can move it:

No tengo ganas de estudiar a veces – grammatically possible, but sounds less natural and can sound like the not-wanting happens occasionally, instead of describing a general pattern.
No, a veces tengo ganas de estudiar y a veces no – here a veces in the middle makes sense, but the structure is different.

For this particular sentence, putting A veces at the beginning is the most natural and common choice.

Why is it A veces with veces plural and not A vez?

The fixed expression a veces (plural) means sometimes. Native speakers always use it in the plural for that meaning.

a veces – sometimes
una vez – one time / once
pocas veces – few times
muchas veces – many times

a vez by itself is not used; you would say una vez, cada vez, etc., but not a vez.

Why is there no yo in (Yo) no tengo ganas de estudiar?

In Spanish, subject pronouns (yo, tú, él, etc.) are often omitted because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

tengo = I have (only yo can be the subject here)
So yo is usually unnecessary:
- (Yo) tengo ganas de estudiar.

You generally add yo only for emphasis or contrast:

Yo tengo ganas de estudiar, pero ellos no.
I feel like studying, but they don’t.

What does igual mean here? I thought igual meant equal.

You’re right that igual can mean equal (as an adjective), but in many parts of Latin America (especially in informal speech, and very common in Argentina/Chile, etc.) igual is also used as an adverb meaning something like:

anyway, still, even so, regardless

In this sentence:

...pero igual abro el libro y leo un poco.
→ ...but I still open the book and read a bit anyway.

So the structure is:

I don’t feel like studying, but still, I open the book and read a little.

In more neutral Spanish, you could also say:

...pero de todos modos abro el libro...
...pero igual lo abro... (same idea)

Why is it pero and not sino?

pero and sino both translate to but, but they are used differently:

pero = but / however
- Introduces contrast or an additional, somewhat opposite idea.
sino = but rather / but instead
- Corrects or replaces a negative statement.

Examples:

No tengo ganas de estudiar, pero igual estudio.
I don’t feel like studying, but I still study.
No quiero estudiar, sino descansar.
I don’t want to study, but rather (instead) rest.

In your sentence, we’re not correcting no tengo ganas de estudiar. We’re adding a contrasting fact (I still do it), so pero is correct.

Why is it abro el libro and not something like lo abro?

Both are possible, but they have slightly different focuses:

abro el libro – I open the book
- Names the object directly.
lo abro – I open it
- Uses a direct object pronoun (lo) to refer to a previously known masculine singular noun.

If the book has already been mentioned, you could say:

Tomo el libro y lo abro. – I take the book and open it.

In your sentence, el libro is generic and clear enough, so naming it explicitly sounds natural: abro el libro.

Why is it el libro and not mi libro?

Both could work, but there is a nuance:

abro el libro – I open the book
- Assumes context: the book I use to study, the textbook, etc.
abro mi libro – I open my book
- Emphasizes that it’s your own book, differentiating it from other books.

In everyday speech, when it is obvious you are talking about your study book, el libro sounds perfectly natural, just like in English when you say I open the book in a context where it’s clear which book you mean.

Why is the present tense used (tengo, abro, leo) and not something like a progressive form?

Spanish simple present (presente de indicativo) is used both for:

General habits / routines
- A veces no tengo ganas de estudiar, pero igual abro el libro y leo un poco.
  → Sometimes I don’t feel like studying, but I still open the book and read a bit.
  (Describes what you usually do.)
Actions happening now, in some contexts.

Spanish does have a progressive form (estar + gerundio: estoy leyendo), but for habits you normally use the simple present, not the progressive. That’s why tengo / abro / leo is the natural choice here.

What is the difference between leo un poco and leo poco?

They are close, but not identical:

leo un poco
- Literally: I read a little (bit).
- Neutral; just indicates a small amount of reading.
leo poco
- Literally: I read little.
- Often implies I don’t read much; can sound a bit more negative or like a general habit.

In the sentence:

...pero igual abro el libro y leo un poco.

leo un poco fits well because it describes a small, concrete amount of reading in that moment, not a general habit of reading little in life.

Could I say A veces no quiero estudiar, pero igual abro el libro y leo un poco instead?

Yes, that sentence is grammatically correct and natural:

A veces no quiero estudiar, pero igual abro el libro y leo un poco.

It would mean:

Sometimes I don’t want to study, but I still open the book and read a bit.

The nuance:

no tengo ganas de estudiar – focuses more on your mood / energy.
no quiero estudiar – focuses more on a conscious lack of will.

Both are common; which one you choose depends on what you want to emphasize.