Relajarse es importante para no acumular estrés durante la semana.

to be

Breakdown of Relajarse es importante para no acumular estrés durante la semana.

• importante: important
• para: for
• la semana: the week
• durante: during
• relajarse: relaxing
• acumular: to accumulate
• el estrés: the stress

Questions & Answers about Relajarse es importante para no acumular estrés durante la semana.

Why is relajarse in the infinitive form in this sentence?

In Spanish, using the infinitive form after a verb like es (as in "es importante") is common when the verb is the subject of the sentence. Here, relajarse is functioning as a noun, meaning "the act of relaxing," so it stays in its infinitive form.

What is the role of se in relajarse?

The se makes relajarse a reflexive verb, indicating that the action (relaxing) is directed back at oneself. In other words, "relajarse" means "to relax oneself," emphasizing that you are performing the action on yourself.

Why do we say "para no acumular" instead of "para no acumularse" or something else?

The phrase para no acumular estrés literally means "in order not to accumulate stress." Here, acumular is not reflexive; you’re talking about the stress building up, but not reflecting back on the person as an action they do directly to themselves (like "relajarse"). Therefore, you keep acumular in its standard (non-reflexive) form.

Is it correct to say "acumular el estrés" or would that be wrong?

You could say "acumular el estrés," but in everyday Spanish, it’s more natural to drop the article "el" and just say "acumular estrés." Using "el" would emphasize "the stress" as a specific entity, but in this context, the general idea of "stress" is what’s being accumulated.

Could we use "por" instead of "para" in "para no acumular estrés"?

Generally, you would not use por in this construction. Para indicates purpose or goal; it answers the question "Why is it important to relax?" The answer: "so as not to accumulate stress," which calls for para. Using por here would change the meaning, often implying cause or reason, which doesn’t fit this sentence.