Word
Cuando te das cuenta de lo que te agota, te quedas tenso.
Meaning
When you realize what exhausts you, you become tense.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Cuando te das cuenta de lo que te agota, te quedas tenso.
que
that / than
te
to you / you (direct object)
quedarse
to stay / to end up / become
cuando
when (statement)
Questions & Answers about Cuando te das cuenta de lo que te agota, te quedas tenso.
Why does this sentence use te quedas instead of te pones for 'you become'?
In Spanish, different verbs are used to mean 'become' depending on the context. The verb quedarse is used to express a physical or emotional state that is the direct result of a specific action or event. Realizing what exhausts you leaves you in a resulting state of being tense. Ponerse is usually for temporary moods that aren't necessarily the direct aftermath of a specific event.
Why is it te das cuenta de and not just te das cuenta before lo que?
The fixed expression for 'to realize' or 'to become aware of' is darse cuenta de. In Spanish, if a verb phrase inherently requires a preposition like de, you must keep that preposition even before a relative pronoun like lo que (that which / what) or the conjunction que. Dropping it here is a mistake known as 'queísmo'.
Since cuando can trigger the subjunctive mood, why is te das in the indicative?
The indicative is used here because the sentence is stating a general, habitual fact (Whenever you realize this, you get tense). You only use the subjunctive after cuando if you are referring to a specific, uncompleted action in the future, such as 'When you finally realize what exhausts you tomorrow' (cuando te des cuenta).
Could I use the verb realizas instead of te das cuenta to mean 'you realize'?