Breakdown of Cree tener una enfermedad, de modo que vive automedicándose.
de
from / of
tener
to have
una
a, an (feminine)
vivir
to live / to be constantly (doing something)
que
that / than
creer
to believe
el modo
way
la enfermedad
illness
automedicarse
to self-medicate
Questions & Answers about Cree tener una enfermedad, de modo que vive automedicándose.
Why does the translation use "is constantly self-medicating" for vive automedicándose? Why not just use siempre?
The structure vivir + gerund (like automedicándose) is a special phrase that means someone spends all their time doing something or does it repeatedly. While you could just say siempre se automedica, using vivir adds emotional weight, often implying exaggeration, concern, or annoyance about a habit.
Why is it Cree tener instead of Cree que tiene?
When the subject of the main verb (creer) is the same as the subject of the second verb (tener), Spanish often drops the que and uses the infinitive. Since the same person is doing the believing and supposedly having the illness, cree tener is perfectly natural and slightly more elegant, though cree que tiene is also correct.
Why does de modo que use the indicative verb vive here? Doesn't it sometimes trigger the subjunctive?
It depends on the meaning! When de modo que expresses a consequence or result that is actually happening (meaning "so" or "therefore"), it uses the indicative, like vive here. If it expresses a purpose or a goal (meaning "so that"), it triggers the subjunctive, as in Te lo doy de modo que te cures (I give it to you so that you get better).
Why is there an accent mark on automedicándose?
The base gerund is automedicando, with the natural spoken stress on the second-to-last syllable (can). When you attach a pronoun like the reflexive se to the end, you add an extra syllable. To keep the spoken stress on that original syllable, Spanish spelling rules require you to add a written accent mark over the a.
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