Tengo dolor de garganta porque hablo demasiado en la reunión.

I have a sore throat because I talk too much in the meeting.

Breakdown of Tengo dolor de garganta porque hablo demasiado en la reunión.

• yo: I
• tener: to have
• en: in
• de: of
• porque: because
• el dolor: the pain
• la garganta: the throat
• hablar: to talk
• demasiado: too much
• la reunión: the meeting

Questions & Answers about Tengo dolor de garganta porque hablo demasiado en la reunión.

Why do we say Tengo dolor de garganta instead of Me duele la garganta?

Both are correct, but Tengo dolor de garganta literally means I have throat pain, which emphasizes the fact that you have pain. Me duele la garganta means My throat hurts, which focuses on the sensation of pain. In everyday speech, both forms are used and understood. However, Tengo dolor de garganta can sound a bit more formal or clinical, whereas Me duele la garganta can sound more casual and direct.

What does porque mean in this sentence, and how is it different from other forms like por qué or por que?

Here, porque means because, introducing the reason why you have a sore throat. Por qué (with a space and an accent on the e) is used to form questions (like ¿Por qué hablas tanto? – Why do you talk so much?). Por que (two words, no accent) is less common and usually appears in specific phrases or as a combination of por + que (e.g., la razón por que te llamé – the reason why I called you).

Why is hablo demasiado in the present tense if the meeting has already happened?

Sometimes in Spanish, the present tense is used when telling a story or recounting events in a vivid way, almost as if it’s happening right now. It’s often called the historic present or presente narrativo. If you wanted to be very clear that it happened in the past, you could say hablé demasiado (I talked too much).

Is en la reunión the only way to say in the meeting? Could I use durante la reunión or something else?

En la reunión is the most straightforward way to say that the action takes place in or at the meeting. You can use durante la reunión when you want to emphasize during the course of the meeting. For example, Tengo dolor de garganta porque hablo demasiado durante la reunión would accentuate what happens throughout its duration. Both are correct, but the nuance changes slightly.

Why is it demasiado without an extra ending like -a or -os?

Demasiado can function as an adverb meaning too much, and in that case, it does not change its form. If it were an adjective referring to a noun, it would need to agree in gender and number (e.g., demasiadas personas – too many people). Here, since it modifies the verb hablo, it remains in its adverb form, so it doesn’t change.