What is the difference between these two Spanish sentences , and which is correct?

Question

Después de la operación de la cadera, a abuela le cuesta subir las escaleras.

Después de la operación en la cadera, es difícil para la Abuela para subir las escaleras.

After the hip operation, it's hard for Grandma to climb the stairs.

Do both of the spanish sentences mean the same ?

Which one is correct and why, and why is "le cuesta' used ?

Great question! - rac1, Mar 12, 2015

Hi, the second sentence is correct.After hip operation, hard grandmother taking the stairs.After hip operation, it is difficult for the grandmother to walk up the stairs. - amberheart, Mar 13, 2015

Answer 1

Después de la operación de la cadera, a abuela le cuesta subir las escaleras.

Después de la operación en la cadera, es difícil para la Abuela para subir las escaleras.

When you say "operación + de", I would think that its referred to the hip, and when you say "operacion + en" I would think that the surgery was fisically in the hip, I think both are correct,

Now when you use common nouns you have to use the article. In the first sentence it should be "a la abuela le cuesta subir las escaleras."

In the second one, you used correctly the article but you used the word "para" twice. With the first one was enough, so it should be " es difícil para la abuela subir las escaleras"

En resumen

Después de la operación de la cadera, a la abuela le cuesta subir las escaleras.

Después de la operación en la cadera, es difícil para la Abuela subir las escaleras.

saludos! espero haberte ayudado

Answer 2

in the first sentence they use "le cuesta" , in the second sentence it is ,"para subir"

Ray- I don't think that you are comparing the right parts

a la abuela, le cuesta= es difícil para la abuela

As for the grandmother, it costs her= it is difficult for the grandmother

le cuesta= es difícil

it costs her= it is dificult

I think even in English, the idiomatic use of costar is apparent here.

Thanks mate, I think I understand , I have to stop equating 'custa ' to costing as in money rather than in effort expended , is that correct mate? - ray76, Mar 13, 2015

That is correct, often it is the effort that costs, the toll upon you, what it takes out of you, ie, what it costs you in energy. :) - bosquederoble, Mar 13, 2015

Probably it takes a toll on her is a very nice equivalent idiom. :) - bosquederoble, Mar 13, 2015

A toll, after all is a price you pay, something that costs you. :) - bosquederoble, Mar 13, 2015

I feel for her when i am climbing a mountain , it takes a toll on me también . Thanks mate . - ray76, Mar 13, 2015

De nada, amigo. :) - bosquederoble, Mar 13, 2015

Answer 3

Forgive me 'cokee' i did not pose the question too well , what i am concerned about

*is this , the main difference between the two sentences is that in the first sentence

they use "le cuesta" , in the second sentence it is ,"para subir"

And yet both sentences translate the same .

Is the first sentence using a colloquial expression?