Breakdown of Mi hermana se da cuenta de que la carta es falsa.
ser
to be
la hermana
the sister
la carta
the letter
mi
my
que
that / than
falso
fake
darse cuenta de
to realize
Questions & Answers about Mi hermana se da cuenta de que la carta es falsa.
Why is there a de right before que?
The verb phrase here is darse cuenta de, meaning to realize. In Spanish, when a verb naturally requires a specific preposition like de, you must keep that preposition even when the next word is que (that). So, realizes that becomes se da cuenta de que.
Why doesn't the sentence use the Spanish verb realizar for realizes?
realizar is a false friend. It means to carry out, to make, or to achieve something (like a project or a dream). To express realizing a truth or a fact in your mind, you must use the set phrase darse cuenta de.
Why is there a se before da?
The infinitive is darse cuenta de, which means the verb is reflexive. Since the subject is Mi hermana (she), we use the third-person reflexive pronoun se. While it literally looks like she gives herself account of, it is just the standard way to say she realizes.
Learn Mi hermana se da cuenta de que la carta es falsa and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free