Breakdown of Es difícil lidiar con los chicos estos cuando intentan persuadirte.
ser
to be
los
the (masculine plural)
el chico
the boy (older / teenager)
difícil
difficult
te
to you / you (direct object)
estos
these
intentar
to try
cuando
when (statement)
lidiar con
to deal with
persuadir
to persuade
Questions & Answers about Es difícil lidiar con los chicos estos cuando intentan persuadirte.
Why does the sentence use los chicos estos instead of just saying estos chicos?
Placing the demonstrative (estos) after the noun and adding the definite article (los) adds an emotional or expressive tone. In this sentence, it specifically conveys exasperation, annoyance, or a dismissive attitude, much like saying "these boys" with a sigh or an eye-roll in English.
Is lidiar con the standard way to say "to deal with"?
Since cuando often triggers the subjunctive, why is intentan in the indicative mood here?
The word cuando only triggers the subjunctive when it refers to a future or uncompleted action (e.g., "call me when they try to persuade you"). Because this sentence is talking about a general fact or a recurring habit ("whenever they try to persuade you"), the indicative mood (intentan) is the correct choice.
Could the pronoun te in persuadirte go anywhere else in the sentence?
Yes. Because intentan persuadir is a verbal periphrasis (a phrase made of a conjugated verb acting together with an infinitive), you have two options. You can attach the pronoun to the end of the infinitive, as done here (persuadirte), or you can place it right before the conjugated verb: cuando te intentan persuadir. Both are perfectly correct and mean exactly the same thing.
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