El médico dice que, si descanso bien, seguramente mejoraré pronto.

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Breakdown of El médico dice que, si descanso bien, seguramente mejoraré pronto.

• descansar: to rest
• que: that
• decir: to say

Questions & Answers about El médico dice que, si descanso bien, seguramente mejoraré pronto.

Why is it el médico and not just médico?

In Spanish, job titles are often used with the definite article when you are talking about a specific person in that role.

So el médico means the doctor.

Compare:

• El médico dice... = The doctor says...
• Soy médico. = I am a doctor.

When someone’s profession comes after ser to say what they are, Spanish usually does not use an article. But when the profession is the subject of the sentence, the article is very common.

Why is there que after dice?

Because decir que is the normal way to say to say that.

So:

• dice que... = says that...

Spanish usually keeps que in sentences like this, whereas English sometimes drops that:

• The doctor says that...
• The doctor says...

In Spanish, leaving out que here would be wrong.

Why are there commas around si descanso bien?