Breakdown of Dudo que tengas mal aliento, respira nomás.
tener
to have
mal
poorly / badly / unwell
que
that / than
respirar
to breathe
Questions & Answers about Dudo que tengas mal aliento, respira nomás.
How does the word nomás change the command respira in this sentence?
In Latin America, adding nomás right after an imperative verb like respira softens it and acts as a word of encouragement. Instead of a strict order, it translates more closely to 'just breathe' or 'go ahead and breathe without worrying'.
Why is tengas used here instead of the indicative tienes?
The phrase dudo que expresses doubt and uncertainty, which is a classic trigger for the subjunctive mood. Because the speaker is doubting the reality of the bad breath, the verb that follows must be the subjunctive tengas.
Since this sentence addresses tú, why is the command respira without an s?
Respira is the affirmative imperative or command form for the tú pronoun. Affirmative tú commands are conjugated exactly like the third-person singular of the present indicative tense, which is why it drops the final s you would otherwise see in the present tense respiras.
Why does the adjective come first in the phrase mal aliento?