con lo que cuestan de prender.

Question

Hola,

I'm trying to read a Spanish novel called Riña de Gatos. I find the following sentence hard to understand. Especially the part "con lo que cuestan de prender." My difficulties are:

• Which meaning of "prender" should I use?

• Is "costar de" a phrase? Or is there a rule for translating "de + infinitive" construct?

Context: some passengers in a train were talking about why people chose to burn down churches in Spain during 1936-ish period.

Spanish text: Si en toda España el pueblo elige quemar iglesias, con lo que cuestan de prender, por algo será.

My understanding: If all over Spain people choose to burn down churches, with whatever the arrests cost them, it will be for something (i.e. for some purpose).

Gracias,

Answer 1

Prender also means to set something on fire.

I read it as:

Si en toda España el pueblo elige quemar iglesias, con lo que cuestan de prender, por algo será.

If in all Spain the people choose to burn churches, with what it takes (costs) them to set them on fire, it will be worth something.

Right, this is to my mind the most common meaning for prender. For instance, at least in Mexico: Prende un cigarillo, He lights a cigarette. - Jeremias, Jan 17, 2012

Gracias to both, why "de" is used here? This is the first time I see "de" connecting two verbs. - JazSpanish, Jan 17, 2012

Answer 2

If in all Spain the people choose to burn churches, with what it takes them (the churches) to actually burn/start burning, it will be worth something.

Almost there Kevin

Prender is more to light / to put on fire than to burn...

oh, you said that, set on fire, of course - 00494d19, Jan 18, 2012

Actually, thanks to the fact you misunderstood him a bit, it helped me because I was leaving with the thought that prender = burn even though I know perfectly well the difference between burn and set on fire. - webdunce, Jan 18, 2012

Answer 3

If in all Spain the people choose to burn churches, with what it takes them (the churches) to actually catch fire, it must be worth it/it must be worht >their while

Let me know if that sounds natural.

In other words:

Those guys who burn churches must get a real kick out of it, as it really takes a while for a church to actually start burning.

yes, that is it:) - 00494d19, Jan 18, 2012

Answer 4

I see, it makes more sense now. However, I still wonder why "de" is used in front of prender. Is there some construct like de + infinitive?

I am going to have a shot at this. Don't forget that one use of the Spanish infinitive is the same as the English gerund: prender = burning.

So, Si en toda España el pueblo elige quemar iglesias, con lo que cuestan de prender, por algo será.

If, throughout Spain the village decides to burn churches, with what they take for burning (what it takes to get them burning), there must be something (some reason they do it.)

Answer 5

I see, it makes more sense now. However, I still wonder why "de" is used in front of prender. Is there some construct like de + infinitive?