Questions & Answers about A mi hermana le da rabia comparar su trabajo con el de otras personas, porque sabe que la envidia no ayuda.
Why are both a mi hermana and le used? Don’t they both mean to my sister?
Yes, they both point to the same person, but they do different jobs in Spanish.
- le is the indirect object pronoun
- a mi hermana is the explicit indirect object phrase
Spanish very often uses both together:
- A mi hermana le da rabia...
- literally: To my sister, it gives anger...
This is called clitic doubling, and it is very common, especially with people. The full phrase a mi hermana makes it clear who we are talking about, while le is the normal pronoun that goes with the verb.
Without a mi hermana, le da rabia would still be grammatical, but less specific unless the context already made it clear.
What does dar rabia mean here?
Dar rabia is a very common expression meaning something like:
- to make someone angry
- to annoy someone
- to frustrate someone
So:
- Le da rabia comparar su trabajo... means that comparing her work with other people’s work makes her feel angry / upset / frustrated.
It is not usually a calm, neutral kind of displeasure. Rabia suggests a stronger emotional reaction than just not liking something.
Why is it le da rabia and not está rabia or es rabia?
Because rabia here is a noun, not an adjective.
Spanish often uses the pattern:
- dar + noun of emotion
- dar miedo = to frighten
- dar vergüenza = to embarrass
- dar pena = to make someone sad / feel sorry
- dar rabia = to make someone angry / frustrated
So le da rabia literally works like:
- it gives her anger/frustration
You would not say está rabia because rabia is not an adjective like enfadada.
Why is comparar in the infinitive?
Because the whole action comparar su trabajo con el de otras personas is being treated as the thing that causes the emotion.
In English we often do the same:
- Comparing her work with other people’s work makes her angry.
- or more naturally: It makes her angry to compare her work with other people’s.
In Spanish, an infinitive can act like a noun or clause:
- Fumar es malo.
- Viajar me encanta.
- A mi hermana le da rabia comparar...
So here, comparar... is the action that gives her rabia.
Could this sentence also use que and the subjunctive, like Le da rabia que...?
Yes, but it would mean something slightly different.
There are two common patterns:
Le da rabia + infinitive
Used when the person affected is also the one doing the action, or when the action is spoken of in a general way.- Le da rabia comparar su trabajo...
Le da rabia que + subjunctive
Used when the cause is expressed as a full clause.
In your sentence, the infinitive is natural because the focus is simply on the act of comparing.
What does su trabajo mean exactly? Is it her work or his/her/their work?
- his
- her
- your (formal)
- their
Spanish possessives are often less specific than English ones. The context tells you whose work it is.
In this sentence, because the subject is mi hermana, the natural interpretation is:
- su trabajo = her work
If Spanish needs to make it extra clear, it can say:
- el trabajo de mi hermana
Why does it say el de otras personas instead of el trabajo de otras personas?
Why is it el de otras personas and not la de otras personas?
Why is it otras personas and not just otros?
Why is it porque and not por qué?
Why is there an article in la envidia? Why not just envidia no ayuda?
Spanish often uses the definite article with abstract nouns when speaking about them in a general sense.
So:
- la envidia no ayuda = envy does not help
This is very natural Spanish. The article does not necessarily mean a specific instance of envy; it can refer to the concept in general.
English often leaves the article out with abstract nouns, but Spanish frequently includes it:
- La paciencia es importante.
- La música me relaja.
- La envidia no ayuda.
What is the role of que in sabe que la envidia no ayuda?
Here que means that.
- sabe que... = she knows that...
It introduces a subordinate clause:
- la envidia no ayuda
In English, that is often optional:
- she knows (that) envy doesn’t help
In Spanish, que is normally required in this structure.
Could the word order be different?
Yes. Spanish word order is flexible, although some versions sound more natural than others.
Original:
You could also say:
- Comparar su trabajo con el de otras personas le da rabia a mi hermana.
That is grammatical, but it sounds more marked or literary. The original order is more natural in everyday speech because it introduces the person affected first.
Is rabia the same as ira or enfado?
Not exactly.
- rabia often suggests anger mixed with frustration or irritation
- enfado is more like annoyance / anger
- ira is stronger and more formal, closer to wrath or intense anger
In everyday Spanish, especially in expressions like me da rabia, rabia is very common and idiomatic.
So in this sentence, le da rabia feels natural and conversational: she feels upset/annoyed/frustrated by doing that comparison.
Why is it no ayuda in the singular?
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