Breakdown of Tengo apuro; llevo un día sin beber agua para evitar el suplicio este.
tener
to have
un
a, an (masculine)
el día
the day
beber
to drink
el agua
the water (f)
para
for
este
this
evitar
to avoid
sin
without
llevar
to have been (doing) for a time
el apuro
the rush / the hurry
el suplicio
the ordeal / the torment
Questions & Answers about Tengo apuro; llevo un día sin beber agua para evitar el suplicio este.
How does the structure llevo un día sin beber work to mean "I haven't drunk for a day"?
This uses the formula llevar (conjugated) + a time expression (un día) + sin + an infinitive (beber). While English uses the present perfect to show an action not happening over a period of time, Spanish uses this llevar structure to express exactly how long it has been since you last did the action.
Why is este placed after the noun in el suplicio este?
Placing a demonstrative adjective like este or ese after the noun is a common, colloquial way to show mild annoyance or contempt, similar to saying "this darn ordeal" in English. When you put the demonstrative after the noun, you must add the definite article (el) before the noun.
Is tengo apuro just another way to say tengo prisa?
Exactly. They both mean "I am in a hurry" or "I am in a rush." Tengo apuro and the related phrase estar apurado are extremely common throughout Latin America, whereas tengo prisa is more typical in Spain.
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