Breakdown of Me duele la vejiga; llevo mucho tiempo sin usar un baño.
un
a, an (masculine)
mucho
many / a lot
el baño
the bathroom
usar
to use / to wear
el tiempo
the time
me
to me / me (direct object)
doler
to hurt / to ache
sin
without
llevar
to have been (doing) for a time
la vejiga
the bladder
Questions & Answers about Me duele la vejiga; llevo mucho tiempo sin usar un baño.
How does the phrase llevo mucho tiempo sin usar translate to "I haven't used... in a long time"?
This sentence uses the structure llevar + [time expression] + sin + [infinitive]. It is the standard Spanish way to express how long it has been since you last did something. While it literally translates to "I carry a long time without using," English naturally expresses this as "I haven't used [it] in a long time."
The English translation says "without using." Why isn't it sin usando?
In Spanish, whenever a verb immediately follows a preposition like sin, de, para, or por, it must always be in the infinitive form (usar). Spanish never uses the gerund (the -ando or -iendo form) immediately after a preposition, even though English uses its "-ing" form.
Why does the sentence use la vejiga (the bladder) instead of mi vejiga (my bladder)?
In Spanish, you almost always use definite articles (el, la, los, las) instead of possessive adjectives (mi, tu, etc.) when talking about body parts or clothing. The pronoun Me at the beginning of the sentence already makes it perfectly clear whose bladder is hurting!
Why is the verb duele conjugated in the third person if "I" am the one feeling the pain?
Learn Me duele la vejiga; llevo mucho tiempo sin usar un baño and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free