Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Aunque el sueldo no es alto, ella se siente orgullosa de su trabajo. - Although the salary is not high, she feels proud of her job.

Indicative (no es):
“Aunque el sueldo no es alto…”
→ The speaker presents this as a real, known fact. The salary is definitely not high.
Subjunctive (no sea):
“Aunque el sueldo no sea alto…”
→ The speaker treats it as hypothetical, uncertain, or not their main concern. It can sound more general or more concessive: even if the salary isn’t high…

In this sentence, the indicative “no es alto” fits well because the speaker is clearly talking about her actual, known salary.

Why is it “el sueldo” and not “su sueldo”?

In Spanish, the definite article “el” is often used instead of a possessive when the owner is obvious from context.

“Aunque el sueldo no es alto…”
Literally: Although the salary is not high…
But it’s understood that it’s her salary.

You could say “su sueldo”, and it would also be correct, just a bit more explicit. In many contexts, Spanish prefers the article where English would use “her/his”.

Why is the negation “no” placed before “es” and not before “alto”?

In Spanish, “no” always goes directly before the conjugated verb:

Correct: no es alto
Incorrect: es no alto (this sounds very foreign/unnatural)

Adjectives like “alto” then follow the verb ser:
sueldo + no + es + alto → “el sueldo no es alto”.

Why is it “ella se siente orgullosa” and not “ella es orgullosa” or “ella está orgullosa”?

These three options don’t mean the same:

“Ella se siente orgullosa”
→ She feels proud.
Focus on her current emotional state, from her point of view. Very natural here.
“Ella está orgullosa”
→ Also She is proud (right now).
Describes a temporary state, often caused by something: Está orgullosa de su trabajo.
“Ella es orgullosa”
→ She is proud/arrogant (as a character trait).
Often means proud in a negative sense, like conceited.

The sentence wants to say she feels proud of her job despite the low salary, so “se siente orgullosa” (or “está orgullosa”) is appropriate. “Es orgullosa” would change the meaning to a personality judgment.

What is the function of “se” in “se siente orgullosa”?

Here “se” makes the verb reflexive:

sentir = to feel (something)
- Ella *siente frío.* → She feels cold.
sentirse = to feel (a certain way)
- Ella *se siente orgullosa.* → She feels proud.

So “se siente orgullosa” literally means “she feels herself proud”, i.e. she feels proud. The reflexive se is required with sentirse + adjective.

Why is it “orgullosa” and not “orgulloso”?

Adjectives in Spanish must agree in gender and number with the noun or pronoun they describe.

Subject: ella (feminine singular)
Adjective: orgullosa (feminine singular form of orgulloso)

If the subject were él, then it would be “él se siente orgulloso”.
With a mixed or all-male group: “Ellos se sienten orgullosos.”
With a group of only women: “Ellas se sienten orgullosas.”

Why is it “orgullosa de su trabajo” and not “orgullosa por su trabajo”?

The normal pattern in Spanish is:

estar / sentirse / ser orgulloso DE algo / alguien

Examples:

Estoy orgulloso *de ti.*
Se sienten orgullosos *de su hijo.*
Ella se siente orgullosa *de su trabajo.*

You may see “orgulloso por” in some contexts, but “orgulloso de” is the standard and most natural option when you’re proud of something or someone. So here, “de su trabajo” is the expected preposition.

Why is there a comma after “alto”?

Spanish normally uses a comma to separate a subordinate clause placed at the beginning of the sentence from the main clause:

Aunque el sueldo no es alto, ella se siente orgullosa de su trabajo.

If you reverse the order, the comma is usually dropped:

Ella se siente orgullosa de su trabajo aunque el sueldo no es alto.

So the comma here is just standard punctuation for a fronted “aunque”-clause.

Could you drop the subject pronoun and say “Aunque el sueldo no es alto, se siente orgullosa de su trabajo”?

Yes, grammatically you can drop “ella”, because Spanish often omits subject pronouns:

“Aunque el sueldo no es alto, se siente orgullosa de su trabajo.”

However, without “ella”, it might be slightly less clear who “se siente orgullosa” refers to, especially out of context. With context (if you’re already talking about her), omitting “ella” is natural and common.

What is the nuance of “sueldo” compared with “salario” or “pago”, especially in Spain?

In Spain:

sueldo
→ Very common, everyday word for salary/wage, especially a regular monthly wage.
“Tengo un buen sueldo.”
salario
→ More formal/technical; used in legal, economic, or HR contexts.
“El salario mínimo interprofesional.”
pago
→ A payment (any kind): a bill, a transfer, an installment.
Not used by itself to mean one’s salary.

In this sentence, “sueldo” is the most natural, conversational choice in Spain.