Breakdown of La convivencia es difícil, pero me encanta que compartamos el piso.
ser
to be
pero
but
difícil
difficult
el piso
the flat
Questions & Answers about La convivencia es difícil, pero me encanta que compartamos el piso.
Why is compartamos used here instead of the normal present tense compartimos?
The phrase me encanta que expresses a strong emotion. In Spanish, when you express an emotion about an action (like saying 'I love that WE share'), the verb after que must be in the subjunctive mood. That is why we use the subjunctive form compartamos instead of the regular present indicative compartimos.
Why is 'Living together' translated as La convivencia instead of using a verb phrase like Vivir juntos?
While you could technically say Vivir juntos es difícil, Spanish has a specific and very common noun for cohabitation or living together: la convivencia. Spanish often prefers using dedicated nouns where English uses an -ing action word. Using convivencia makes your Spanish sound much more natural and mature.
Why does encanta end in 'a' here? Shouldn't it conjugate to match the 'we' who are sharing?
The verb encantar works exactly like gustar. The thing causing the emotion determines the verb ending, not the person doing the sharing. Here, the entire idea of que compartamos el piso acts as a single, singular concept that is pleasing to you. Because this whole concept counts as a singular thing, encanta stays in the singular third-person form.
I previously learned that 'apartment' is apartamento. Why does this sentence use el piso?