Breakdown of Creer en el tarot y la astrología es solo una fase temporal.
ser
to be
y
and
una
a, an (feminine)
en
in / on / at
la
the (feminine)
creer
to believe
solo
only
la fase
phase
la astrología
astrology
el tarot
tarot
temporal
temporary
Questions & Answers about Creer en el tarot y la astrología es solo una fase temporal.
Since the sentence explicitly describes something as temporary, why do we use es instead of está?
A common early rule of thumb is that estar is for temporary states, but that rule has a major exception: when equating a subject with a noun, you always use ser. Here, you are saying that the subject (believing) is a noun (a phase). Even though a phase is temporary by definition, the structural equation of a subject being a noun always requires ser.
This lesson is about sudden or capricious actions using darle por. How would you express that someone suddenly took up believing in astrology?
You would use the structure darle por followed by the infinitive: Le dio por creer en la astrología. This implies the belief is a sudden, unpredictable whim, which perfectly matches the idea of it being a temporary phase!
Why does the sentence use the infinitive Creer rather than a gerund like Creyendo for the English word Believing?
In English, we frequently use the -ing form as a noun to act as the subject of a sentence. In Spanish, you must always use the infinitive form when a verb functions as a noun.
Is there a difference in meaning between creer la astrología and creer en la astrología?
Yes. Creer directly followed by a noun means to believe what someone or something says (like believing a person's words). Creer en means to believe in the existence, validity, or power of something. To say you believe in the mystical power of tarot or astrology, you need the preposition en.
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