Learn Spanish (Latin America): Esa pertenencia vieja, la guardo con mucho apego. - That old belonging, I keep it with a lot of attachment.

Esa pertenencia vieja, la guardo con mucho apego.

That old belonging, I keep it with a lot of attachment.

Breakdown of Esa pertenencia vieja, la guardo con mucho apego.

Questions & Answers about Esa pertenencia vieja, la guardo con mucho apego.

Why do we need the pronoun la before guardo if we already mentioned Esa pertenencia vieja?

This is the core of topicalization. In Spanish, when you move a direct object (Esa pertenencia vieja) to the front of the sentence to emphasize it, you must double it with a matching clitic pronoun. Since pertenencia is feminine and singular, we use la right before the verb guardo. Without la, the sentence would sound incomplete to a native speaker.

Is the comma after vieja required?

Yes, in written Spanish, a comma is usually required when you pull the object to the front of the sentence like this. It represents a slight pause in speech that sets up the topic before you make your statement about it. It functions a bit like saying 'As for that old belonging...' in English.

What exactly does con mucho apego mean? Could I just say con mucho cariño?

Apego translates closely to 'attachment,' meaning a strong emotional bond to a person, idea, or object. You could use con mucho cariño (with a lot of affection), but apego specifically emphasizes the reluctance to let the object go, which perfectly fits the context of keeping an old possession.

Could I say Esa vieja pertenencia instead of Esa pertenencia vieja?