Breakdown of Mi hermana es muy competitiva y celebra cada victoria, pero acepta la derrota con humor.
Questions & Answers about Mi hermana es muy competitiva y celebra cada victoria, pero acepta la derrota con humor.
In Spanish, ser is used for essential, lasting characteristics, while estar is mostly for temporary states or conditions.
- Es muy competitiva = “She is (by nature) very competitive” → a stable personality trait.
- Está muy competitiva could be used only in special contexts to mean “she’s acting really competitive right now / these days,” as a temporary behavior.
In this sentence, we’re clearly talking about her general character, so es is correct.
In Spanish, possessive adjectives like mi, tu, su, nuestro already include the idea of “the,” so you normally don’t use a definite article with them:
- mi hermana = “my sister” (not la mi hermana)
- mi libro = “my book”
- nuestro coche = “our car”
Using la mi hermana is archaic or dialectal and not standard modern Spanish.
Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.
- hermana is feminine singular.
- So the adjective must also be feminine singular → competitiva.
Other examples:
- Mi hermano es competitivo. (masculine)
- Mis hermanas son competitivas. (feminine plural)
- Mis hermanos son competitivos. (masculine plural / mixed group)
Muy is used with adjectives and adverbs to mean “very”:
- muy competitiva = very competitive
- muy alto, muy rápido
Mucho is used with:
- Nouns → “a lot of / much / many”
- mucho trabajo = a lot of work
- muchas victorias = many victories
- Verbs → “a lot”
- Corre mucho. = He runs a lot.
So:
- muy competitiva ✅
- mucho competitiva ❌ (incorrect)
Both are possible, but there’s a nuance:
- cada victoria = each individual victory
Emphasizes that every single time she wins, she celebrates. - todas las victorias = all the victories (as a group)
Focuses more on the victories as a total set, less on each individual occasion.
In this sentence, cada victoria nicely highlights that she celebrates every win, one by one, which fits the idea of someone very competitive.
In Spanish, cada is always followed by a singular noun, even though the meaning is plural overall:
- cada victoria = each victory
- cada día = every day
- cada persona = each person
So you say cada victoria, not cada victorias.
Two different structures are at play:
cada victoria:
cada acts like a determiner, so you don’t add an article:- cada victoria ✅
- cada la victoria ❌
la derrota:
Here there is no cada, so you use a definite article to talk about “the defeat” in a general sense:- acepta la derrota = she accepts defeat (in general, whenever it happens).
So it’s:
- celebra cada victoria
- acepta la derrota
Yes, con humor is natural and idiomatic.
- aceptar la derrota = to accept defeat.
- con humor = literally “with humor,” but it’s understood as in a good‑humored, light, positive way, often implying she can laugh at herself or at the situation.
Similar expressions:
- Tomarlo con humor = to take it with humor.
- Tomárselo con buen humor = to take it in good spirits.
So the idea is: She doesn’t get angry or bitter when she loses; she takes it lightly and good‑naturedly.
In Spanish, subject pronouns (yo, tú, él, ella, etc.) are often omitted when the subject is clear from context and from the verb ending.
- acepta is 3rd person singular (he/she/it).
- The subject mi hermana was already mentioned at the start of the sentence.
- So repeating ella is usually unnecessary:
- Mi hermana es muy competitiva y celebra cada victoria, pero acepta la derrota con humor. ✅
You would add ella only for emphasis or contrast, e.g.:
- Mi hermana es muy competitiva, pero ella acepta la derrota con humor.
(Contrasting her with others who don’t.)
Pero and sino both translate to “but,” but they’re used differently:
pero = “but,” used to add contrasting information.
- Es muy competitiva, pero acepta la derrota con humor.
She is competitive, and yet she accepts defeat with humor.
- Es muy competitiva, pero acepta la derrota con humor.
sino = “but rather / but instead,” used after a negation to correct or replace something.
- No es agresiva, sino competitiva.
She is not aggressive, but rather competitive.
- No es agresiva, sino competitiva.
In the sentence given, we’re not correcting a negative statement, just contrasting two traits, so pero is correct.
Yes, Spanish word order is fairly flexible, and these options are all natural:
- acepta la derrota con humor
- acepta con humor la derrota
The default order is usually verb + object + manner (how), but putting con humor after the verb can slightly highlight the way she accepts defeat. The difference is very small, and both are correct and common.
In Spanish, the simple present is used for:
- Permanent characteristics:
- Es muy competitiva. = She is very competitive.
- Habitual actions (things she usually/always does):
- Celebra cada victoria. = She celebrates every victory (whenever she wins).
- Acepta la derrota con humor. = She accepts defeat with humor (whenever she loses).
So this present tense covers the same idea as “she tends to…” / “she usually…” in English, without needing extra words.
Both are grammatically correct, but they’re used differently:
muy competitiva = very competitive
- Simple intensifier.
tan competitiva = so competitive, often expecting a continuation or comparison:
- Es tan competitiva que celebra cada victoria.
She is so competitive that she celebrates every victory. - Es tan competitiva como su hermano.
She is as competitive as her brother.
- Es tan competitiva que celebra cada victoria.
On its own, in a neutral description, muy competitiva is the natural choice.