The Surprising Afterthought
Sometimes you want to add a contrasting fact to the end of a sentence to show surprise or frustration. In English, you might say "and to think that..." or "even though..." In Spanish, you can use the phrase y eso que.
Unlike some other phrases that express contrast, y eso que is always followed by a verb in the normal indicative mood. It is perfect for talking about stubborn pets that misbehave despite your best efforts to train (adiestrar) them to walk on a leash (la correa).
| The boy trains the dog every day, even though he is stubborn. | El chico adiestra al perro todos los días, y eso que es cabezota. |
| We walk the dog without a leash, even though nobody trains him. | Paseamos al perro sin correa, y eso que nadie lo adiestra. |
Bad Behavior
When a pet is rebellious (rebelde), it might bark (ladrar), growl (gruñir), or chew (masticar) things it shouldn't.
You can use y eso que to express your surprise at these stubborn behaviors when there is a good reason they shouldn't be happening. Just state the main action, add a comma, and follow it with y eso que plus the surprising context.
| That rebellious dog always barks, even though he is tired. | Ese perro rebelde siempre ladra, y eso que está cansado. |
| The dog chews the leash, even though he has his toy. | El perro mastica la correa, y eso que tiene su juguete. |
Claws and Cages
You can use this exact same structure to talk about a cat scratching (arañar) or dealing with a pet's paw (la pata) or cage (la jaula). Notice how the indicative verb immediately follows y eso que in every scenario.
| She washes the cat's paw, even though he scratches! | ¡Ella lava la pata del gato, y eso que araña! |
| The cat scratches the cage, and even though the vet feeds him. | El gato araña la jaula, y eso que la veterinaria lo alimenta. |
