Breakdown of Con tener menos fricción, el diseño se desplomó de todos modos.
tener
to have
con
with
menos
to (telling time) / minus / less
el diseño
design
de todos modos
anyway
desplomarse
to plummet
la fricción
friction
Questions & Answers about Con tener menos fricción, el diseño se desplomó de todos modos.
How does con tener translate to 'despite having'? I thought con meant 'with'.
Why is the pronoun se used with desplomó?
The verb here is desplomarse, which is a pronominal verb (a verb that requires a reflexive pronoun). While desplomar means to knock something down or make it collapse, adding se focuses on the subject undergoing the action itself without an outside actor. So, el diseño se desplomó means the design collapsed or plummeted on its own.
Could I use a conjugated verb here instead of the infinitive, like con tiene?
No, the preposition con must be followed by an infinitive when used in this specific concessive structure. You cannot say con tiene. If you wanted to use a conjugated verb to express the same idea, you would have to use a different connector, such as aunque tiene menos fricción (even though it has less friction).
What is the function of de todos modos at the end of the sentence?
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