Breakdown of A pesar del cansancio, ella no se rinde.
ella
she / her (after a preposition)
no
no / not
a pesar de
despite, in spite of (+ noun/infinitive)
el cansancio
the tiredness, the fatigue
Questions & Answers about A pesar del cansancio, ella no se rinde.
Why do we use "a pesar del" here instead of "a pesar de que"?
We use a pesar de because it is followed directly by a noun (el cansancio). You only use a pesar de que when a conjugated verb comes next. Also, remember that the preposition de and the masculine article el must contract into del.
How does the word "cansancio" relate to "cansado"?
Cansado is the adjective meaning "tired", while cansancio is the noun meaning "tiredness" or "fatigue". Because it is a noun, it fits perfectly after the preposition in a pesar de.
Why is the pronoun "se" necessary in "no se rinde"?
The verb here is rendirse, which means "to give up" or "to surrender". It requires the reflexive pronoun se for this meaning. The non-reflexive verb rendir means something completely different: "to produce" or "to perform".
What is the infinitive of "rinde" and why does it look different?
The infinitive is rendirse. It is an "e-to-i" stem-changing verb in the present tense. The e in the stem changes to i in all forms except "nosotros" and "vosotros", which gives us ella se rinde.