Breakdown of El suplicio este es intolerable; llevamos una hora sin llegar al baño.
ser
to be
una
a, an (feminine)
el baño
the bathroom
al
to the
llegar
to arrive
la hora
the hour
este
this
sin
without
llevar
to have been (doing) for a time
el suplicio
the ordeal / the torment
intolerable
intolerable
Questions & Answers about El suplicio este es intolerable; llevamos una hora sin llegar al baño.
Why does the sentence say El suplicio este instead of Este suplicio?
Placing the demonstrative adjective (este) after the noun is a colloquial way to add emotional emphasis, usually expressing annoyance, frustration, or contempt. It gives the feeling of saying 'This darn ordeal.' Notice that when you put the demonstrative after the noun, you must add the definite article (el) before the noun.
How does llevamos una hora sin llegar translate to 'we haven't reached... in an hour'?
This uses the formula llevar + time expression + sin + infinitive. It is the most natural way in Spanish to say how long it has been since something happened, or how long a negative state has lasted. Literally, it translates to 'we carry an hour without arriving.'
Why is llevamos in the present tense when the English translation uses the present perfect ('haven't reached')?
In Spanish, if a situation started in the past and is still actively continuing right now, you use the present tense. Because they are still currently in transit trying to reach the bathroom, the present tense of llevar is required. English uses the present perfect for this, which often trips up learners!
Is suplicio a common way to say 'ordeal'?
Yes! While its literal meaning is closer to 'torture' or 'torment', native speakers frequently use suplicio in a dramatic, everyday sense to describe a highly annoying or frustrating situation, just like we use 'ordeal' or 'nightmare' in English.
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