No tengas miedo de intentar algo nuevo en el mar; nadar es muy divertido.

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Breakdown of No tengas miedo de intentar algo nuevo en el mar; nadar es muy divertido.

• divertido: fun
• en: in
• muy: very
• nuevo: new
• el: the
• algo: something
• de: of
• nadar: to swim
• ;: semicolon
• intentar: to try
• el miedo: the fear
• el mar: the sea

Questions & Answers about No tengas miedo de intentar algo nuevo en el mar; nadar es muy divertido.

Why do we say No tengas instead of No tienes?

In Spanish, the negative command for the second-person singular (tú) uses the present subjunctive form of the verb. For tener, this becomes tengas. So to say "Don’t have (fear)" in a commanding sense, you use No tengas rather than No tienes.

Why do we use de after miedo (as in tener miedo de algo)?

Tener miedo de is a set expression meaning "to be afraid of." You’ll see miedo a in some contexts, but miedo de with an infinitive (like intentar) is very common in Spain. Both are acceptable, but the sentence flows more naturally as No tengas miedo de intentar.

What is the difference between intentar and probar?

Both can mean "to try," but intentar means "to attempt" (focusing on the effort to do something), while probar can mean "to try out," "to taste," or "to test." Here, intentar is used because it focuses on making an effort or attempt to do something new.

Why is a semicolon used before nadar es muy divertido?

In Spanish, a semicolon (;) can link two closely related statements. Here, it separates the advice (No tengas miedo …) from a supportive statement (nadar es muy divertido), which both belong in the same overall idea but benefit from slight separation.

Why is nadar es muy divertido used instead of something like nadar es muy divertido para mí?

When describing a general truth or opinion that is widely agreed upon, Spanish often states it plainly as nadar es muy divertido ("swimming is very fun"). Adding para mí makes it more personal ("to me"), but it’s not necessary if you want to make a general statement.