Phrase · ✋ Concession and insistence
Por más que lo intento, el flan no me sale como a mi abuela.
However hard I try, my flan never turns out like my grandmother's.
C2conceding a factAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Por1prepositionhowever (lit. for)más1adverbmuch (lit. more)que1conjunction(that)lo2object pronounitél · 3rd sing. · direct objectintento1verbI tryintentar · present · 1st sing.,eldeterminerthemasc. · sing. · definiteflannounflan (caramel custard)masc. · sing.noadverbnotme3object pronounfor meyo · 1st sing. · indirect objectsale3verbturns outsalir · present · 3rd sing.comoconjunctionlike, asa3prepositionfor (to)mideterminermy1st sing.abuelanoungrandmotherfem. · sing..
- Por → que: por más que: however much
- que → intento: por más que + indicative: a real fact
- sale → flan: sale agrees with el flan (subject)
- sale → me: salir + dative of the person
Word for word: “However much I try it, the flan doesn't come out for me as for my grandmother.”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1por más que + indicative states a real fact: I do try, again and again. Por más que lo intente would be hypothetical. Concessive clauses: aunque, a pesar de (que), por más que →
- 2lo stands for the action: intentarlo = to try (it). Spanish usually keeps this pronoun.
- 3salirle algo bien/mal a alguien: the dish is the subject; the cook goes in the dative (me, a mi abuela).
Variations
- Por más que lo intente, nunca me saldrá como a mi abuela.
- Por mucho que lo intento, el flan no me queda como el de mi abuela.
- Aunque lo intento una y otra vez, el flan no me sale.