Breakdown of Cuando cometo muchos errores, lo veo como una derrota temporal que me enseña algo.
Questions & Answers about Cuando cometo muchos errores, lo veo como una derrota temporal que me enseña algo.
Lo is a neuter direct object pronoun. It refers to the whole idea of cometer muchos errores (making many mistakes), not to the noun errores specifically.
So the structure is:
- Cuando cometo muchos errores, lo veo como…
= When I make many mistakes, I see *that as…*
In English we usually say that or it to refer to a situation. Spanish often uses lo for this kind of abstract “it/that” idea.
In Spanish, the natural collocation is:
- cometer errores / cometer un error = to make a mistake
Hacer errores is understandable, but it sounds non‑native or incorrect in standard Spanish. With error, delito, crimen, falta, pecado, etc., Spanish normally uses cometer:
- cometer un crimen – to commit a crime
- cometer un pecado – to commit a sin
Because the sentence describes a general, habitual situation, not a specific future event.
- Cuando cometo muchos errores, lo veo como…
= Whenever I make a lot of mistakes, I see it as… (habitual, generally true)
You use cuando + indicative for:
- habitual actions
- general truths
- things seen as real/normal
You use cuando + subjunctive mainly for future or uncertain actions:
- Cuando cometa muchos errores, lo veré como…
= When I make many mistakes (in the future), I will see it as…
Spanish uses the present simple much more than English for:
- general truths
- repeated/habitual actions
- personal attitudes or policies
Here, the speaker is describing their general approach to mistakes, not what’s happening right now. So:
- Cuando cometo muchos errores, lo veo como…
= more like When(ever) I make many mistakes, I see it as…
If you said Cuando estoy cometiendo muchos errores, it would sound more like focusing on a specific ongoing situation, which isn’t the idea here.
Me is an indirect object pronoun meaning to me / for me. Spanish strongly prefers pronouns over full phrases when the person is clear:
- me enseña algo = it teaches me something
- enseña algo a mí is possible but sounds heavy or emphatic (as in “to me, personally”).
So me already expresses a mí, and normally you don’t repeat it unless you want strong emphasis:
- A mí me enseña algo. (very emphatic: to me, it does teach me something)
Because enseñar algo = to teach something (direct object), and enseñar algo a alguien = to teach something to someone:
- enseñar algo – direct object (what it teaches)
- enseñar algo a mí / me enseña algo – indirect object (to whom it teaches)
You only need a before the indirect object (the person), not before algo:
- ✅ me enseña algo (teaches me something)
- ❌ me enseña a algo (incorrect in this sense)
Grammatical gender:
- derrota is feminine → una derrota
- error is masculine → un error, muchos errores
You just have to learn the gender with each noun. Some hints:
- Many nouns ending in ‑a are feminine (la derrota, la casa, la mesa)
- Many ending in ‑o are masculine (el libro, el perro)
But there are exceptions, so memorising with the article helps:
- la derrota, el error
In Spanish, most adjectives normally go after the noun:
- una derrota temporal – a temporary defeat
- un coche nuevo – a new car
Adjectives before the noun are possible but often change nuance, sound literary, or are limited to certain common adjectives (like bueno, malo, gran, pobre in some meanings).
Here, temporal is a descriptive adjective, so the neutral, standard word order is derrota temporal.
como (no accent) here is a conjunction meaning as / like:
- lo veo como una derrota – I see it as a defeat
cómo (with accent) is interrogative/exclamative how:
- ¿Cómo lo ves? – How do you see it?
- ¡Cómo me enseña! – How much it teaches me!
In your sentence, it isn’t a question or exclamation, so it must be como without an accent.
Usually, no. In this kind of figurative meaning, Spanish uses ver:
- lo veo como una derrota temporal = I see it / regard it as a temporary defeat
Mirar is more physical: to look at something with your eyes. You might say lo miro for I look at it, but when talking about “seeing something as X” (having an opinion about it), you use ver:
- Ver algo como X ≈ to see something as X
- Considerar algo X ≈ to consider something X
You could say:
- Cuando cometo muchos errores, eso lo veo como una derrota temporal…
but it sounds a bit heavier and more emphatic. The most natural version is the original:
- Cuando cometo muchos errores, lo veo como…
Differences:
- lo is a light, neutral pronoun for the whole situation.
- eso points to it more explicitly, almost like “that thing” (sometimes used if you want to contrast or emphasise it).
Derrota can be both:
- Literal:
- La derrota del equipo fue inesperada. – The team’s defeat was unexpected.
- Figurative (like in your sentence):
- Lo veo como una derrota temporal. – I see it as a temporary defeat. (in life, at work, in study, etc.)
Using derrota metaphorically for setbacks, failures, or bad results is very common and natural in Spanish.