Breakdown of Su actuación fue lamentable. Es más, casi lloro de rabia.
ser
to be
de
from / of
su
his/her/its/their/your (formal)
llorar
to cry
casi
almost
la rabia
anger / rage
es más
furthermore
la actuación
performance (artistic, acting)
lamentable
pitiful
Questions & Answers about Su actuación fue lamentable. Es más, casi lloro de rabia.
How does es más function here? Could I just use además?
Es más means 'what's more' or 'in fact.' While además (besides/furthermore) simply adds a new piece of information, es más actively escalates the argument. The speaker isn't just adding a second random fact; they are stepping it up from 'the performance was bad' to an extreme emotional reaction to prove just how terrible it was.
Why use casi lloro (present tense) if the performance already happened in the past?
In Spanish, it is incredibly common to use casi with the present tense to describe a sudden action that almost happened in the past. You absolutely can say casi lloré (preterite), but using the present tense (casi lloro) makes the near-miss feel much more vivid and immediate, as if you are reliving the moment.
Why do we say de rabia instead of por rabia?
When stating the emotion that directly triggers a physical reaction (like crying, shaking, or laughing), Spanish uses the preposition de. You will see this same pattern in common phrases like llorar de alegría (to cry from happiness) or temblar de miedo (to shake from fear).
Is actuación a false friend? Can it also mean 'action'?
It is often a false friend! While it can mean 'action' in highly formal or legal contexts (like a police intervention), in everyday Spanish actuación almost always translates to 'performance' (in a movie, play, concert, or sport). If you want to talk about a regular 'action' or 'deed', you should use the word acción.
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