Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Mi hermano está harto porque hay ruido en la sala. - My brother is fed up because there is noise in the living room.

It usually expresses annoyance or frustration that has built up over time, not just a brief flash of anger.
It’s a bit stronger than just “annoyed” and can be close to “I can’t take this anymore.”
It doesn’t always mean full-on rage; it can also be exasperation or irritation.

So Mi hermano está harto is closer to “My brother is fed up / has had enough” than simply “My brother is angry.”

Why is it está harto and not es harto?

Spanish uses estar (not ser) for temporary states, feelings, and conditions.

Estar = how someone is right now / in this situation
- está harto → “is (feeling) fed up right now”
Ser = essential or permanent characteristics
You do not normally say es harto for a person; that would sound incorrect in standard Spanish.

So since being “fed up” is a temporary emotional state caused by the noise, estar is required: Mi hermano está harto…

Why is it harto and not harta? How does the agreement work?

Harto agrees in gender and number with the person it describes.

Mi hermano está harto
- hermano is masculine singular → harto (masculine singular)
Mi hermana está harta
- hermana is feminine singular → harta
Mis hermanos están hartos
- hermanos (mixed or all-male group) → hartos
Mis hermanas están hartas
- hermanas (all female) → hartas

So you always match harto/harta/hartos/hartas to the subject: mi hermano → harto.

What’s the difference between porque and por qué? Why is it porque here?

Porque (one word, no accent) = “because”
It introduces a reason:
- Mi hermano está harto porque hay ruido.
  → “My brother is fed up because there is noise.”
Por qué (two words, with accent) = “why”
Used in questions:
- ¿Por qué está harto tu hermano?
  → “Why is your brother fed up?”

In your sentence we’re giving a reason, not asking a question, so it must be porque.

Why is it hay ruido and not es ruido or está ruido?

Hay is the special verb used to say “there is / there are”.

Hay ruido en la sala.
→ “There is noise in the living room.”

You normally do not say:

✗ es ruido en la sala
✗ está ruido en la sala

Use:

hay + noun = there is/are + noun
- hay ruido (there is noise)
- hay gente (there are people)
- hay problemas (there are problems)

So hay ruido is the correct structure to talk about the existence/presence of noise.

Why is ruido singular and not ruidos? Can you say ruidos?

Both exist, but they’re used a bit differently:

ruido (singular) often works like an uncountable mass noun:
- Hay mucho ruido. → “There’s a lot of noise.”
- Hay ruido en la sala. → “There is noise in the room.”
ruidos (plural) is used when you think of separate sounds/noises:
- Escucho unos ruidos raros. → “I hear some strange noises.”
- Se oían ruidos en el pasillo. → “Noises were heard in the hallway.”

In your sentence we’re talking about general noise, not distinct, individual sounds, so ruido in the singular is more natural.

What does sala mean in Latin American Spanish? Is it always “room”?

In Latin America, la sala almost always refers to the living room of a house or apartment.

Common uses:

la sala → the living room
sala de espera → waiting room
sala de emergencia → emergency room (hospital context)

In Spain, people more often say el salón for living room, but in Latin America la sala is very common and natural.

So here en la sala is best understood as “in the living room”, not just “in some room” in general.

Can I move the porque-clause to the beginning? For example: Porque hay ruido en la sala, mi hermano está harto?

Yes, that word order is possible and correct:

Porque hay ruido en la sala, mi hermano está harto.

This sounds a bit more formal or written and puts extra emphasis on the cause (“because there’s noise…”).

Both are correct:

Mi hermano está harto porque hay ruido en la sala. (more neutral, common)
Porque hay ruido en la sala, mi hermano está harto. (emphasis on the reason)

Could I say Mi hermano está cansado del ruido en la sala instead? What’s the difference from está harto?

Yes, that sentence is correct, but there’s a nuance difference:

estar harto (de)
- Stronger: fed up / sick of
- Implies irritation, annoyance, frustration.
- Mi hermano está harto del ruido en la sala.
estar cansado (de)
- Literally “to be tired (of)”
- Can mean either physically tired or mentally tired of something.
- Often softer than estar harto:
  - Mi hermano está cansado del ruido en la sala.
    → “My brother is tired of the noise in the living room.”

So está harto suggests a stronger emotional reaction than está cansado (del ruido).

Why is it en la sala and not de la sala?

Spanish generally uses:

en for location = “in / at / on”
- en la sala → “in the living room”
- en la cocina → “in the kitchen”
de usually expresses origin, possession, type, or “of/from”:
- el ruido de la calle → “the noise from the street”
- la puerta de la sala → “the door of the living room”

In your sentence we want to say where the noise is happening, so we use en la sala (location), not de la sala.

What tense is está here, and how would I say “was fed up” in the past?

Está is the present tense, third person singular of estar:

(él) está → “he is”

To say “was fed up,” you can use imperfect or preterite, depending on the meaning:

Imperfect: estaba harto
- Describes a background state / ongoing feeling in the past
- Mi hermano estaba harto porque siempre había ruido en la sala.
  → “My brother was (used to be / was generally) fed up because there was always noise in the living room.”
Preterite: estuvo harto
- Describes a completed, specific state or moment
- Mi hermano estuvo harto todo el día por el ruido en la sala.
  → “My brother was fed up (for a specific period) all day because of the noise in the living room.”

Both are translated as “was fed up” in English; the difference is aspect (ongoing vs. bounded) in Spanish.