La respuesta a mi pregunta no era tan complicada como imaginaba.

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Breakdown of La respuesta a mi pregunta no era tan complicada como imaginaba.

• ser: to be
• mi: my
• a: to
• la pregunta: the question
• la respuesta: the answer
• complicado: complicated
• como: as
• imaginar: to imagine

Questions & Answers about La respuesta a mi pregunta no era tan complicada como imaginaba.

Why is "era" used here instead of "fue"?

Era is the imperfect tense of ser, which suggests a continuous or habitual description in the past. By contrast, fue (the preterite) would indicate a completed event. In this sentence, the speaker is describing how the complexity of the answer was an ongoing state rather than a one-time occurrence.

Why do we say "tan complicada" and not "tanto complicada" or "muy complicada"?

In Spanish, tan is used for comparative emphasis before an adjective or adverb (e.g., tan complicada = "so complicated"). Tanto is used before nouns or as an adverb (e.g., tantas respuestas = "so many answers"). As for muy complicada, that would translate as "very complicated," which is not quite the same as "not as complicated as I thought," so tan complicada fits better.

Could we say "La respuesta de mi pregunta" instead of "La respuesta a mi pregunta"?

La respuesta a mi pregunta is the more natural phrasing, meaning "the answer to my question." While de can sometimes work (as in la respuesta de él, "his answer"), a is typically used to connect an answer to its question in Spanish.

Why do we use "como imaginaba" instead of "como pensé"?

Imaginaba is in the imperfect tense, suggesting a repeated or ongoing thought process in the past—something the speaker kept thinking. Pensé (preterite) would imply a specific, completed moment of thinking. Using imaginaba conveys that the expectation was held over some duration.

Could we use "creía" or "pensaba" instead of "imaginaba"?

Yes, you could say como creía or como pensaba, and all three verbs—creer, pensar, and imaginar—share similar meanings in this context. The subtle difference is that imaginaba often conveys a more vivid or personal mental picture, whereas pensaba and creía can feel more straightforward or logical.