Question 1

Why do we use de lo que instead of just que here for "than"?

Accepted Answer

Because we are comparing an adjective (difícil) to a complete thought with a conjugated verb (esperaban). When your comparison ends with a whole clause like "than they expected," "than I thought," or "than we wanted," you must use de lo que instead of just que.

Question 2

Why does the sentence start with the infinitive Resistir instead of Resistiendo for "Enduring"?

Accepted Answer

In English, we often use words ending in "-ing" as the subject of a sentence. In Spanish, the "-ing" form (-ando or -iendo) can never act as a noun like this. Instead, you always use the infinitive. You can think of it as literally saying "To endure the altitude is harder...".

Question 3

Why is esperaban in the imperfect past tense rather than the preterite?

Accepted Answer

The verb esperar (to hope/expect) here describes an ongoing mental state they held before experiencing the altitude. Because this expectation was a continuous background feeling rather than a single completed action with a clear start and end, Spanish uses the imperfect tense.

Question 4

Could I use altura instead of altitud here?

Accepted Answer

You could, as they are often used interchangeably in everyday speech. However, altitud specifically means elevation above sea level, making it the most precise word for talking about breathing thin air. Altura is a more general word for "height" used for people, ceilings, or buildings.

Resistir la altitud es más difícil de lo que esperaban.

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