Breakdown of Su estilo de vida es sedentario, de ahí que engorde tan rápido.
ser
to be
de
from / of
rápido
fast
su
his/her/its/their/your (formal)
la vida
life
que
that / than
tan
as / so
el estilo
style
ahí
there (near you)
sedentario
sedentary
engordar
to gain weight
Questions & Answers about Su estilo de vida es sedentario, de ahí que engorde tan rápido.
Why is engorde in the subjunctive here instead of the indicative?
The phrase de ahí que (hence / which is why) always triggers the subjunctive. Even though him gaining weight is a known fact and a real consequence, this specific grammatical structure demands the subjunctive to express the result.
Could I just use por eso instead of de ahí que in this sentence?
Yes, but you would have to change the grammar. If you use por eso (that's why), it requires the indicative: ...por eso engorda tan rápido. Using de ahí que elevates the sentence slightly—similar to using "hence" in English—and forces the use of the subjunctive (engorde).
How does the tense of the first half (es) affect the choice of engorde?
The tenses across the two clauses must logically agree. Because his lifestyle is currently sedentary (es), the consequence is happening in the present, so we use the present subjunctive (engorde). If the first half were in the past (era sedentario), you would use the imperfect subjunctive for the consequence: ...de ahí que engordara tan rápido.
Is engordar considered a harsh way to say "gain weight" since it comes from the word for "fat"?
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