Breakdown of Hoy hago el esfuerzo mínimo para estudiar español.
yo
I
hoy
today
español
Spanish
estudiar
to study
Questions & Answers about Hoy hago el esfuerzo mínimo para estudiar español.
Why is hago used here instead of something like hice or haré?
Hago is the present tense of hacer (to do / to make), first person singular: yo hago = I do / I make.
In this sentence, Hoy hago el esfuerzo mínimo..., the present tense is used to talk about:
- something you are doing today (as a decision or plan),
- or a kind of habitual action, framed in the present day.
If you said:
- Hoy hice el esfuerzo mínimo... = Today I made the minimum effort... (past, it’s already done)
- Mañana haré el esfuerzo mínimo... = Tomorrow I will make the minimum effort... (future, plan for later)
So hago here matches the idea: Today I (choose to) make the minimum effort to study Spanish.
What verb does hago come from, and how is it conjugated?
Hago is from the verb hacer (to do, to make). It’s irregular in the yo form in the present tense.
Present indicative of hacer:
- yo hago – I do / I make
- tú haces – you do / you make
- él / ella / usted hace – he / she / you (formal) does / makes
- nosotros hacemos – we do / we make
- ustedes hacen – you (plural) do / make
- ellos / ellas hacen – they do / make
So hago is just I do / I make.
Why is it el esfuerzo (the effort) and not un esfuerzo (an effort)?