Spanish Phrase
La envidio por su talento.
Meaning
I envy her because of her talent. The sentence conveys a mix of admiration and jealousy toward a woman's abilities.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to admit that you feel envy toward a woman’s skill, whether in a professional, artistic, or personal context.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Laenvidioporsutalento
Direct object pronoun (la)
‘La’ replaces a feminine singular noun that receives the action of the verb, e.g., ‘a ella’.
Present indicative (envidio)
‘Envidio’ is the first‑person singular present form of the verb ‘envidiar’ (to envy).
Cause preposition (por)
‘Por’ introduces the reason or cause for the feeling: ‘because of’.
Possessive adjective (su)
‘Su’ indicates ownership and agrees in gender/number with the noun that follows.
Noun (talento)
‘Talento’ is a masculine singular noun meaning ‘talent’.
🗨In Conversation
¿Has visto la presentación de Ana?
Did you see Ana’s presentation?
Sí, la envidio por su talento.
Yes, I envy her because of her talent.
✕Common Mistakes
Lo envidio por su talento.
‘Lo’ is masculine; the correct pronoun for a feminine person is ‘la’.
Envidio a ella por su talento.
When a direct object pronoun is used, the preposition ‘a’ is omitted.
La envidio de su talento.
‘Por’ is the right preposition for cause; ‘de’ would change the meaning to ‘of her talent’.
↔Alternatives
Le envidio su talento.
I envy her talent.
Me da envidia su talento.
Her talent makes me envious.
Tengo envidia de su talento.
I am envious of her talent.
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking cultures, openly stating envy can be considered impolite. Speakers often soften the sentiment with phrases like ‘Me da envidia su talento’ or simply ‘Admiro mucho su talento’ to avoid sounding harsh.