Spanish · B1 · Family moment
Keep Going Kindly in Spanish
This guide focuses on encouraging perseverance and kindness in children using the Spanish construction 'sin' followed by an infinitive. This structure is used to describe an action that was omitted or bypassed while performing another action.
What you'll learn
- Learn to use 'sin' + infinitive to express 'without ...ing'.
- Identify where to place reflexive pronouns (te, se) when using infinitive clauses.
- Master vocabulary related to patience, sportsmanship, and daily chores.
Spanish phrases for keep going kindly
Terminaste el rompecabezas sin rendirte.
You finished the puzzle without giving up.
'Rendirse' is the reflexive infinitive for 'to give up'. The 'te' is attached to the end.
Puedes perder un partido sin enojarte.
You can lose a match without getting angry.
'Enojar' means to anger; 'enojarse' is to get angry.
Esperaste tu turno sin interrumpir.
You waited for your turn without interrupting.
'Interrumpir' stays in the infinitive after 'sin'.
Podemos hablar del marcador sin culpar a nadie.
We can talk about the score without blaming anyone.
'Marcador' refers to the score or scoreboard in sports.
Leíste la página entera sin saltarte ninguna línea.
You read the whole page without skipping a line.
'Saltarse' is used here to mean 'skipping' or 'jumping over' something.
Saliste de la habitación sin ordenar.
You left the room without tidying up.
'Ordenar' is a common verb for tidying or organizing a space.
Fuiste al fútbol sin llevarte la botella de agua.
You went to football without taking your water bottle along.
'Llevarse' emphasizes taking something away with oneself.
Te ayudé con los deberes sin decirte la respuesta.
I helped with your homework without telling you the answer.
The pronoun 'te' (to you) is attached directly to 'decir'.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
rendirse
to give up / to surrender
A reflexive verb often used in the context of persistence.
el marcador
the score / scoreboard
Commonly used in sports and games.
saltarse
to skip / to bypass
Used for skipping lines in a book or steps in a process.
ordenar
to tidy / to put in order
Essential for discussing chores around the house.
The 'Sin + Infinitive' Construction
In Spanish, to say 'without doing something', you use the preposition 'sin' followed immediately by the infinitive form of the verb. While English uses the gerund (-ing form), Spanish requires the base infinitive. If the verb requires a pronoun (like 'te' or 'nos'), it is attached to the end of the infinitive.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Action | sin + [infinitive] | sin hablar (without talking) |
| Reflexive Action | sin + [infinitive] + [pronoun] | sin quejarte (without complaining) |
| With Object | sin + [infinitive] + [object] | sin verlo (without seeing it) |
More examples
Comió el brócoli sin protestar.
He ate the broccoli without protesting.
A great example of positive reinforcement for a child's behavior.
Caminamos por el parque sin perdernos.
We walked through the park without getting lost.
Uses the reflexive 'nos' for 'we'.
Puedes jugar sin hacer ruido.
You can play without making noise.
Focuses on quiet play.