Word
Hablar demasiado puede dar dolor de garganta.
Meaning
Talking too much can give a sore throat.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Hablar demasiado puede dar dolor de garganta.
de
of
poder
can
dar
to give
el dolor
the pain
la garganta
the throat
hablar
to talk
demasiado
too
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Questions & Answers about Hablar demasiado puede dar dolor de garganta.
Why do we say dar dolor de garganta instead of using causar or provocar?
In Spanish, dar can be used to mean "to cause" or "to produce" a certain effect. While causar or provocar would also be understood, using dar in expressions like dar dolor de garganta is quite common and sounds very natural to Spanish speakers.
What is the difference between hablar demasiado and hablar mucho?
Both mean "to speak a lot," but demasiado places more emphasis on excess. Hablar demasiado implies speaking so much that it could be problematic or have negative consequences—like getting a sore throat. Hablar mucho just indicates someone talks a lot without necessarily implying it’s excessive.
Why is it dolor de garganta instead of un dolor de garganta?
Spanish often omits the indefinite article when talking about an unspecified or abstract concept of pain or illness (like dolor de cabeza or dolor de estómago). Using un dolor de garganta wouldn’t be incorrect grammatically, but it’s less common, and typically dolor de garganta is the more standard expression.
Why is the sentence structured as Hablar demasiado puede dar dolor de garganta (verb + verb + noun phrase)?
This structure follows the pattern [Infinitive] + poder + [infinitive] + [object].
• Hablar demasiado (infinitive phrase serving as the subject)
• puede dar (modal verb poder + main verb dar)
• dolor de garganta (the direct object of dar, indicating the thing that is caused).
Does puede change if we’re talking about different people?
No. In the sentence Hablar demasiado puede dar dolor de garganta, puede is third-person singular referring to the action of speaking in general (or "it" in an impersonal sense). If you were to specify a person doing the action, you would conjugate poder for that subject:
• Puedo (yo)
• Puedes (tú)
• Puede (él/ella/usted), etc.
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