Breakdown of Hoy hablo poco en la reunión para no tener dolor de garganta.
Questions & Answers about Hoy hablo poco en la reunión para no tener dolor de garganta.
Hablo is the simple present, and in Spanish it’s very common to use the present to describe what you’re doing today/now or what you’re choosing to do in a specific situation: Hoy hablo poco… = today, I’m speaking little (i.e., I’m keeping it brief).
- Hablaré poco… sounds more like a firm prediction/announcement about what you will do.
- Hoy voy a hablar poco… is also natural and emphasizes intention (I’m going to speak little).
Spanish usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the subject. Hablo clearly indicates I. You might add yo for emphasis or contrast, e.g., Yo hablo poco, pero tú hablas mucho.
Hablo poco means I speak little / not much (emphasis on small amount). Hablo un poco means I speak a bit and often sounds more positive/neutral. So:
- Hablo poco en la reunión = I don’t talk much in the meeting.
- Hablo un poco en la reunión = I talk a bit in the meeting (maybe not a lot, but some).
Both can work, but they highlight slightly different ideas:
- en la reunión = in/at the meeting (focus on the setting/context)
- durante la reunión = during the meeting (focus on the time period) For meetings, en la reunión is extremely common and natural.
Reunión is stressed on the last syllable (-ón), and Spanish marks stress on many words that end in n, s, or a vowel when the stress is not on the second-to-last syllable.
Pronunciation tip: it’s roughly reh-oo-NYON, with the stress on -ón.
Para commonly expresses purpose/goal: I do X in order to Y.
So para no tener dolor de garganta = so as not to have/get a sore throat.
Por is used more for reasons/causes, exchange, movement through, etc., not usually for a purpose like this.
You use para + infinitive when the subject is the same in both actions:
- (I) speak little in order (I) not to have throat pain → same person → para no tener. You use para que + subjunctive when the subject changes:
- Hablo poco para que tú no tengas dolor de garganta (I speak little so that you don’t get throat pain).
Yes. With infinitives, no goes directly before the infinitive:
- para no tener = in order not to have You can’t place it after: para tener no is incorrect.
Spanish commonly uses tener + dolor to express pain:
- tener dolor de cabeza, tener dolor de muelas, tener dolor de garganta You can also say:
- Me duele la garganta (my throat hurts)
- Siento dolor de garganta (I feel throat pain)
But tener dolor de garganta is a standard, natural phrasing.
Yes, dolor de garganta is the common way to say sore throat (or throat pain) in Spain.
If you want to emphasize hoarseness specifically, you might also hear:
- quedarme afónico/a (to become hoarse)
Dolor de + body part is a very common pattern meaning pain associated with that area: dolor de garganta.
Dolor en la garganta is also possible, but it sounds more literal/locational: pain in the throat. In everyday Spanish, dolor de garganta is the go-to expression.
La reunión suggests a specific, known meeting (the one on the schedule / the one we both know about).
Una reunión would sound like any meeting, not a particular one. In many contexts both are possible, but la is natural when the meeting is definite in context.