Phrase · ✋ Concession and insistence
Hagas lo que hagas, no le cuentes nada a Martina.
Whatever you do, don't tell Martina anything.
C2warningAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Hagas1verbyou dohacer · subjunctive · present · 2nd sing.lodeterminerwhatel · definitequepronoun(that)hagas1verbyou may dohacer · subjunctive · present · 2nd sing.,no2adverbdon'tle3object pronounherella · 3rd sing. · indirect objectcuentes2verbtellcontar · subjunctive · present · 2nd sing.nadapronounanythinga3prepositiontoMartinanounMartina.
- Hagas → hagas: hagas lo que hagas: whatever you do
- no → cuentes: no + subjunctive: negative imperative
- le → Martina: le doubles a Martina
- cuentes → nada: no … nada: double negation
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1hagas lo que hagas = whatever you do: present subjunctive, repeated around lo que. Mood alternation II: -quiera relatives, concessive así / porque, speaker commitment →
- 2Negative tú imperative = present subjunctive, pronoun before it: no le cuentes (affirmative: cuéntale). Negative imperative and imperative with pronouns →
- 3le anticipates a Martina: indirect objects are usually doubled. contar = to tell. Indirect object pronouns and doubling →
Variations
- Pase lo que pase, no le cuentes nada a Martina.
- Bajo ningún concepto le cuentes nada a Martina.
- Hagas lo que hagas, ni una palabra a Martina.