Phrase · 🧩 Idioms for attitudes and reactions
Tuve que morderme la lengua para no contestarle.
I had to bite my tongue so as not to answer back.
C1describing self restraintlearned as a wholeAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Tuve2verbI hadtener · past · 1st sing.queconjunctionthatmorderme1verbto bite (my)morder · infinitiveladeterminertheel · fem. · sing. · definitelenguanountongue; languagefem. · sing.paraprepositionfor, to, in order tonoadverbnot, nocontestarleverbto answer (him/her) backcontestar · infinitive.
- Tuve → morderme: tener que + infinitive
- para → contestarle: para + infinitive
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1morderse la lengua = to bite your tongue; Spanish needs the pronoun.
- 2Irregular preterite of tener: tuve que = I had to.