Breakdown of Me molesta que retengan la credencial.
que
that / than
me
to me / me (direct object)
molestar
to bother
retener
to confiscate / to retain
la credencial
the ID / the library card
Questions & Answers about Me molesta que retengan la credencial.
Since this lesson is about using por + infinitive, could I say Me molesta por retener la credencial?
No, because there is a change of subject here. It bothers you, but they are confiscating the ID. You only use por + infinitive when the person experiencing the emotion and the person doing the action are the exact same. When expressing an emotion about what someone else does, you must use que + the subjunctive, which is why we see que retengan.
Why is the verb retengan in the subjunctive?
The verb molestar expresses an emotional reaction. In Spanish, whenever you state a feeling, opinion, or emotion about an action performed by a different subject, that second verb is forced into the subjunctive mood.
I don't recognize the verb retengan. Where does the "g" come from?
The infinitive is retener (to retain, keep, or confiscate). It belongs to the same family as tener and copies its irregular conjugations. Just as the "yo" form of tener is tengo, retener becomes retengo. The present subjunctive is built from that "yo" root, which gives us retengan for the "they" form.
Why does the Spanish sentence say la credencial (the ID) instead of mi credencial (my ID)?
In Spanish, it is standard to use the definite article (el or la) instead of possessive words (mi, tu) for personal items, clothing, or body parts when the context already makes it obvious who the owner is.
Is credencial the most common word for an ID card?
In many parts of Latin America, particularly in Mexico, la credencial (often short for la credencial de elector) is the everyday term for a personal ID. Depending on the specific country, you might also hear el carnet, la cédula, or el documento.
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