Breakdown of El doctor confía en que la terapia me ayudará a sanar.
el doctor
doctor
en
in / on / at
a
to
ayudar
to help
que
that / than
me
to me / me (direct object)
confiar
to trust
la terapia
therapy
sanar
to heal
Questions & Answers about El doctor confía en que la terapia me ayudará a sanar.
Why do we need en before que? Shouldn't it just be confía que?
In English, we say 'trusts that', so it is tempting to translate this directly as confía que. However, the verb confiar requires the preposition en to express what you trust or rely on. When the thing you are trusting is an entire clause starting with que, you still must keep the preposition. Dropping the en in these cases is a common grammar mistake.
Why is there an a between ayudará and sanar?
The verb ayudar requires the preposition a when it is followed by an infinitive verb. Just like you learned earlier with verbs like empezar a or aprender a, the formula is always ayudar a plus the action being done.
Could I use curar instead of sanar here?
Yes, but there is a slight difference in nuance. Curar usually refers to the active, external treatment of a disease or injury, like a doctor prescribing medicine. Sanar focuses more on the internal, natural process of healing and restoring health, which makes it a very natural fit for the personal progress made in therapy.
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