Log inSign up

La disciplina diaria no es perfecta, pero me siento satisfecho con mi progreso.

La disciplina diaria no es perfecta, pero me siento satisfecho con mi progreso.
Daily discipline isn’t perfect, but I feel satisfied with my progress.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Spanish grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Spanish now

Questions & Answers about La disciplina diaria no es perfecta, pero me siento satisfecho con mi progreso.

Why does the sentence say La disciplina diaria instead of just Disciplina diaria without la?

In Spanish, you usually need a definite article (el, la, los, las) when you talk about a concept in a general way.

  • La disciplina diaria = daily discipline in general (a general idea or habit)
  • Disciplina diaria (without la) sounds more like an incomplete phrase, or like you’re naming a category in a list (e.g. Disciplina diaria, nutrición, ejercicio).

So here, la is used because you’re making a statement about the general concept of your daily discipline, as if you were saying:

  • La disciplina diaria no es perfecta
    Daily discipline (as a thing, as my system) is not perfect.

Leaving out la would sound unnatural in standard Spanish in this kind of sentence.

Why is it disciplina diaria and not diaria disciplina? Does adjective position matter?

Yes, the position of adjectives usually matters in Spanish.

  • The normal, neutral order is noun + adjective:
    • disciplina diaria = daily discipline
    • comida saludable = healthy food

Putting the adjective before the noun often adds a more poetic, emotional, or stylistic nuance, or changes the meaning slightly.
Diaria disciplina is grammatically possible, but:

  • It sounds more literary or poetic.
  • It might emphasize diaria more strongly, like that daily, day-in-day-out discipline.

For everyday, natural speech in Latin America, disciplina diaria is the standard and most idiomatic order here.

Why is it no es perfecta and not no está perfecta?

This is the ser vs. estar difference.

  • es perfecta (with ser) → talks about an essential or general characteristic:

    • La disciplina diaria no es perfecta = The daily discipline is not perfect (in general; as a system or habit).

  • está perfecta (with estar) → talks about a temporary state or condition:

    • Hoy tu disciplina diaria está perfecta = Today your daily discipline is perfect (right now, in this moment).

In this sentence, you are describing your overall, ongoing situation or habit, so Spanish prefers ser:

  • no es perfecta = It’s not (inherently / generally) perfect.
Why is perfecta feminine?

Adjectives in Spanish must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.

  • disciplina is a feminine singular noun (it ends in -a, but more importantly, it uses la disciplina).
  • So the adjective must also be:
    • feminine → perfecta (not perfecto)
    • singular → perfecta (not perfectas)

If the noun were masculine, it would change:

  • El plan diario no es perfecto.
    (plan is masculine, so perfecto.)
Why do we use pero here? Could we use sino instead?

Pero and sino are both translated as but, but they’re used in different situations.

Use pero when you’re adding a contrasting idea:

  • La disciplina diaria no es perfecta, pero me siento satisfecho con mi progreso.
    = My daily discipline isn’t perfect, but I feel satisfied with my progress.
    (Both parts can stand on their own as complete ideas.)

Use sino when you are correcting or replacing something that was negated in the first part:

  • No es disciplina diaria, sino semanal.
    = It’s not daily discipline, but rather weekly.

In your sentence, you are not correcting no es perfecta; you’re just adding a contrast.
So pero is the correct word.
Sino here would be wrong.

What is the difference between me siento satisfecho and estoy satisfecho?

Both are possible, but they give slightly different feels:

  • me siento satisfecho = I feel satisfied

    • Focuses on your internal feeling.
    • Slightly more subjective and emotional.

  • estoy satisfecho = I am satisfied

    • Describes your current state or condition.
    • Often sounds a bit more factual or result-oriented.

In this sentence:

  • …pero me siento satisfecho con mi progreso
    emphasizes how you personally feel about your progress, which fits well with the contrast: it’s not perfect, but emotionally you’re okay with it.

If you said:

  • …pero estoy satisfecho con mi progreso,
    it would still be correct, just a bit more neutral, like stating a condition.
Why is it me siento and not just siento?

In Spanish, sentir and sentirse are not used the same way:

  • sentir (non‑reflexive) = to feel something (an object, emotion, etc.)

    • Siento frío. = I feel cold.
    • Siento dolor. = I feel pain.
    • Siento tristeza. = I feel sadness.

  • sentirse (reflexive) = to feel a certain way / in a certain state

    • Me siento bien. = I feel well.
    • Me siento cansado. = I feel tired.
    • Me siento satisfecho. = I feel satisfied.

Because satisfecho is describing you (your state), Spanish uses the reflexive form sentirse:

  • me siento satisfecho
    not
  • siento satisfecho ❌ (ungrammatical)
Why is it satisfecho and not satisfecha or satisfechos?

Again, this is adjective agreement. Satisfecho agrees in gender and number with the person who is speaking or being described.

  • If the speaker is a man (or masculine‑identifying):
    • Me siento satisfecho.
  • If the speaker is a woman:
    • Me siento satisfecha.

Plural:

  • A group of men / mixed group:
    • Nos sentimos satisfechos.
  • A group of women:
    • Nos sentimos satisfechas.

The sentence as written assumes a singular masculine speaker:
me siento satisfecho = I (male) feel satisfied.

Could I say …pero estoy satisfecho con mi progreso instead? Is it still correct?

Yes, it is grammatically correct:

  • La disciplina diaria no es perfecta, pero estoy satisfecho con mi progreso.

The meaning is very close. The nuance:

  • me siento satisfecho → highlights the internal, personal feeling.
  • estoy satisfecho → states your current state / condition; could sound a bit more objective.

In everyday conversation, both would be easily understood and accepted. The original just sounds slightly more personal/emotional.

Why is it con mi progreso and not de mi progreso or por mi progreso?

Each preposition changes the nuance:

  • satisfecho con = satisfied with

    • Estoy satisfecho con mi progreso.
      I am satisfied with my progress. (Standard, most common.)

  • satisfecho de = also exists, but sounds more formal or old‑fashioned, and is less common in everyday Latin American speech.

    • Estoy satisfecho de mi progreso. (Uncommon in Latin America; might sound odd.)

  • satisfecho por = usually means satisfied because of (the cause)

    • Estoy satisfecho por mi progreso.
      = I’m satisfied because of my progress. (Grammatically possible, but less idiomatic; most would still say con.)

For natural Latin American Spanish here, con mi progreso is the best choice.

Could I say mis progresos instead of mi progreso? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can, but there’s a nuance:

  • mi progreso (singular) = your progress as an overall process, a general idea of improvement.

    • Estoy satisfecho con mi progreso.
      I’m satisfied with how much I’ve advanced overall.

  • mis progresos (plural) = individual improvements or specific advances.

    • Estoy satisfecho con mis progresos.
      I’m satisfied with the particular improvements I’ve made.

Both are correct, but:

  • mi progreso is more common when you think of progress as a continuous thing.
  • mis progresos sounds slightly more like you’re counting or noticing specific achievements or steps.
Why is the verb in the present tense: no es perfecta, me siento? Could I use another tense?

The present simple in Spanish is typically used for:

  • general truths
  • habits
  • current ongoing situations

So:

  • La disciplina diaria no es perfecta
    = My daily discipline (as it currently exists in my life) is not perfect.
  • me siento satisfecho con mi progreso
    = That’s how I feel now, in general.

You could use other tenses in different contexts:

  • La disciplina diaria no ha sido perfecta, pero me siento satisfecho con mi progreso.
    = Daily discipline hasn’t been perfect, but I feel satisfied with my progress.
  • La disciplina diaria no era perfecta, pero me sentía satisfecho con mi progreso.
    = Daily discipline wasn’t perfect, but I felt satisfied with my progress. (Past context)

For the general statement you gave, the present simple is the most natural choice.

Can I change the word order, like No es perfecta la disciplina diaria? Is that correct?

Yes, No es perfecta la disciplina diaria is grammatically correct, but the emphasis changes.

  • La disciplina diaria no es perfecta
    = neutral, standard word order; the subject (la disciplina diaria) comes first.
  • No es perfecta la disciplina diaria
    = sounds a bit more emphatic or stylistic, like:
    • It’s not perfect, that daily discipline.
    • Slightly more dramatic or rhetorical.

In everyday speech and writing, La disciplina diaria no es perfecta is the most natural and common version. The alternative word order is possible but less neutral.