Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): En toda relación hay algún conflicto pequeño de vez en cuando. - In every relationship there is some small conflict from time to time.

en toda relación = in every relationship (as a general truth). It sounds more like a broad statement about how relationships work in general.
en cada relación = also in every relationship, but it sounds a bit more literal, as if you’re going through relationships one by one.

In natural Spanish, when you state a general truth, toda relación is very common and slightly more idiomatic than cada relación in this context. It feels less “counting” and more “in any relationship you can think of, this is true”.

Why is there no article: why en toda relación and not en toda la relación?

en toda relación is generic and non-specific: “in any relationship, in relationships in general”.

en toda la relación would refer to one specific relationship already known from context and usually means throughout the whole relationship, focusing on its duration:

En toda relación hay algún conflicto...
= In relationships in general, there’s some conflict.
En toda la relación hubo tensión.
= Throughout the whole (specific) relationship, there was tension.

Here, the idea is a general rule about relationships, so Spanish naturally drops the article and uses toda relación.

Why do we use hay here and not es or está?

hay is from the verb haber used in its existential sense: “there is / there are”.

hay = “there is / there are”
es (from ser) = “is” (identity, characteristics)
está (from estar) = “is” (location, temporary states)

In this sentence we’re saying that some kind of conflict exists in relationships:

En toda relación hay algún conflicto...
= In every relationship, there is some (small) conflict...

Using es or está would be wrong here, because we’re not describing what something is like or where it is; we are stating that such a thing exists in that context.

Why is it algún and not alguno?

alguno shortens to algún before a masculine singular noun:

alguno → algún
- masculine singular noun
  - algún conflicto
  - algún problema
  - algún día

If you put it after a noun or use it alone, you use the full form:

¿Tienes algún conflicto? (before noun ➜ algún)
¿Tienes conflicto alguno? (after noun ➜ alguno)
No tengo ninguno / alguno. (standing alone)

So we say algún conflicto because conflicto is masculine and singular, and alguno must contract to algún in this position.

Why doesn’t algún have an accent mark, but algún does in other contexts? (Or: is the accent always there?)

Here, algún always has an accent when it’s the shortened form of alguno before a masculine singular noun. The accent does not disappear:

alguno → algún (with accent) before a masculine singular noun
- algún conflicto
- algún amigo

The form algun without an accent is simply incorrect in standard Spanish.

So:

alguno (full form)
algún (shortened form before masculine singular noun, always with the accent)

Why do we use algún conflicto (singular) and not algunos conflictos (plural)?

Both are possible, but the nuance changes slightly.

algún conflicto (singular) = “some conflict” / “the odd conflict” / “a conflict now and then”.
It often suggests something occasional or minor, like “one or two conflicts from time to time”.
algunos conflictos (plural) = “some conflicts”.
This sounds a bit more like several conflicts, perhaps more than just one or two.

In the sentence, algún conflicto pequeño de vez en cuando emphasizes that conflicts do happen, but they’re small and occasional, not many or constant. That’s why the singular fits well.

Why is it conflicto pequeño and not pequeño conflicto?

In Spanish, most adjectives normally come after the noun:

conflicto pequeño = small conflict
casa grande = big house

Putting the adjective before the noun is also possible but carries a more subjective, often more emotional or stylistic nuance:

un pequeño conflicto can sound slightly more “softened” or “subjective”: a little conflict, as seen from the speaker’s viewpoint.

So:

algún conflicto pequeño = neutral description: there is a conflict, and it happens to be small.
algún pequeño conflicto = a bit more subjective/stylistic; often used to downplay the conflict.

Both are correct; the original is simply using the most neutral noun + adjective order.

Can we say algún pequeño conflicto instead of algún conflicto pequeño? Does the meaning change?

Yes, algún pequeño conflicto is perfectly correct and quite natural.

Nuance:

algún conflicto pequeño: more neutral, descriptive.
algún pequeño conflicto: slightly more evaluative or softening, like “some little conflict”, minimizing its importance.

In everyday speech, both are used. Many native speakers might actually prefer algún pequeño conflicto in exactly this meaning, because it sounds a bit more idiomatic when you’re playing down the problem.

What exactly does de vez en cuando mean, and how is it different from a veces?

Both express the idea of something happening not all the time, but occasionally.

de vez en cuando = “from time to time”, “once in a while”.
It often suggests something that happens occasionally but not very frequently.
a veces = “sometimes”.
This is a bit more neutral about frequency; could be somewhat often, could be rarely.

In practice, they overlap a lot, and you could say:

En toda relación hay algún conflicto pequeño a veces.
En toda relación hay algún conflicto pequeño de vez en cuando.

de vez en cuando often feels a bit softer and slightly less frequent than a veces.

Does hay here mean that there is always a conflict happening right now in every relationship?

No. Spanish often uses the present tense for general truths and habitual situations, not just for actions happening right now.

En toda relación hay algún conflicto pequeño de vez en cuando.
Means: in relationships, at some point, conflicts occur from time to time.

It doesn’t imply that at this exact moment every relationship is experiencing a conflict. It’s more like an English sentence such as:

“In every relationship, there is some small conflict now and then.”

— a general rule, not a literal description of the present moment.

Why is conflicto masculine? How do I know its gender?

In Spanish, the grammatical gender of nouns is largely arbitrary and must be memorized, though there are patterns.

conflicto:

Ends in -o
Is masculine: el conflicto, un conflicto, algún conflicto pequeño

The common pattern:

Nouns ending in -o are usually masculine: el libro, el perro, el conflicto
Nouns ending in -a are usually feminine: la casa, la mesa, la relación

There are exceptions, but conflicto follows the regular pattern.

Could we say toda relación tiene algún conflicto pequeño de vez en cuando instead of using hay?

Yes, that is also correct Spanish:

Toda relación tiene algún conflicto pequeño de vez en cuando.

The difference is mainly in structure:

hay construction:
- En toda relación hay algún conflicto...
- Literally, “In every relationship there is some conflict...”
tener construction:
- Toda relación tiene algún conflicto...
- Literally, “Every relationship has some conflict...”

Both express essentially the same idea. The version with hay focuses more on the existence of conflict within relationships, while the version with tiene frames the relationship as the subject that possesses the conflict. Both are very natural.