Mi mamá les tiene pánico a las cucarachas

Question

My mother is terrified of cockroaches.

This is in my Spanish day by day calendar.

Why is les used instead of le? literal I take it to be
to my mother she has panic at the cockroaches

Answer 1

Thanks everyone, it's clearer now

Answer 2

I'll use samdie's explanation to explain the "anticipatory" pronoun in English. Consider "Me gusta cuando haces eso". You could say "I like it", which can be translated as "Me gusta eso", which raises the question "what is that IT, to which you refer'" The answer is supplied (in English) by adding a clarification "when you do that" (I like it when you do that).

In Spanish you never use "it" (eso) and "when you do that" at the same time: Me gusta cuando haces eso.

Answer 3

Motley, remember that indirect pronouns in Spanish can often be thought of (in English) as a pronoun combined with a preposition: for you, to you, about you, of you, etc. So, "Mi mamá les tiene pánico" is literally "My mom of them has panic." As samdie says, the "a las cucarachas" merely clarifies who "them" refers to.

Answer 4

I guess I'll have to mull that one over for a while. I just can't imagine using that correctly in conversation myself.
thanks so much

Answer 5

You may wish to think of this as an example ot an "anticipatory" pronoun. Consider "Mi mamá les tiene pánico"; this could be translated as "My mother is terrified of them" which raises the question "What are the 'them', to which you refer'" The answer is supplied (in Spanish) by adding the clarification "a las cucarachas").