Since nobody knows anybody else, nobody wants to back down.?

Question

I need to translate this line.
Since nobody knows anybody else, nobody wants to back down.

My attempt:
Por razón que no se conocen nadie, nadie quiere ceder.
Does that make sense'

Answer 1

Why do you say "rely on someone" instead of "rely someone"?

There is no explanation. This is the part where you just memorize it. The verb "acordarse" always takes "de".

Answer 2

Ah that, like sueño con algo
ok thanks.

Answer 3

Tad, just memorize it. It's part of the verb, and the verb sounds funny without it. Just like we say "I forgot about you." Why do we need the "about"? We just do.

There are probably arcane explanations for why certain prepositions are used with certain verbs, but the best thing to do is memorize them, which is how the natives learned them.

Answer 4

OK. Now why is de used in the third of the sentences above?
Sorry if I'm being thick.

Answer 5

It is simple: simple sentences have only one verb:

Quiero algo.
Espero algo.
Me acuerdo de algo.

The "algo" in the first two sentences are direct objects, and in the third one, a function called "complemento regido" in Spanish. Of course, I have used just a simple noun for all the examples (algo) to illustrate the point, but there is only so much you can express with other nouns, so quite often you have to use subordinate clauses to replace those nouns. These clauses do the same job, but they have their own verb, and sometimes their own subject:

Quiero que vengas.
Espero que me llames.
Me acuerdo de que me lo dijiste.

These clauses are direct objects and "complementos regidos" too.

Answer 6

Thanks lazarus, I'm just looking up 'subordinate'... I may get back to you.

Answer 7

Lazarus if you could expand a little on why the 'de' is needed ....

The construction is like this:

Por razón de [algo]

...so if you use a subordinate, you replace that [algo] by "que nadie...", but you cannot drop the preposition, since it is still needed to join two nouns.

Answer 8

Thanks guys, OK, I'll use 'Ya que nadie conoce a nadie, nadie quiere ceder' because the guy talking is a 'rough diamond' and that sounds more streetwise to me.

Lazarus if you could expand a little on why the 'de' is needed ....

Answer 9

You must use the preposition "de" between "razón" and "que", and the verb must be in singular (conoce).

However, it is an extremely unusual construction. Most natives most of the time would probably say "Debido a que nadie conoce a nadie" or "Ya que...", and in Spain you'll often hear "Como nadie conoce a nadie..."