Breakdown of Esta estafa es terrible; deben de tener muchos reclamos hoy.
ser
to be
tener
to have
mucho
many / a lot
hoy
today
Questions & Answers about Esta estafa es terrible; deben de tener muchos reclamos hoy.
Why does it say deben de tener instead of just deben tener?
In Spanish, adding de after deber changes the meaning from obligation to probability or assumption. Deben tener means 'they must have' (as a requirement), while deben de tener means 'they must have' (as a strong guess or deduction, like 'I bet they have'). You will often hear native speakers mix these up, but technically, deber de is used for assumptions like this one!
Why doesn't Esta have an accent mark?
Esta is a demonstrative adjective here because it directly modifies the noun estafa ('This scam'). You only used to need an accent mark (ésta) when it acted as a pronoun replacing the noun (like 'This one is terrible'). Note: The RAE (Royal Spanish Academy) recently updated the rules to say the accent mark is no longer required even for pronouns, but you still never use it when the noun is right next to it.
Are reclamos the same as quejas?
They are very similar and both mean 'complaints,' but there is a slight difference in flavor. A queja is usually a general expression of dissatisfaction. A reclamo often implies a formal complaint or a demand for a resolution, like asking for your money back because of a scam (estafa).
How could I add encima or es más to this sentence to fit the current lesson?