Phrase · 📜 Narrating past events
No pudimos entrar al estadio: ya no quedaban boletos.
We couldn’t get into the stadium: there were no tickets left.
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Why every word is where it is
Noadverbnotpudimos1verbwe managed (not)poder · past · 1st pl.entrarverbto get ininfinitiveal2prepositioninto the (a + el)estadionounstadiummasc. · sing.:ya3adverb(no) longerno3adverbnotquedaban3verbwere leftquedar · imperfect · 3rd pl.boletos4nounticketsboleto · masc. · pl..
- pudimos → entrar: poder + infinitive
- entrar → al: entrar a
- ya → no: ya no = no longer
- boletos → quedaban: boletos → quedaban (3rd pl.)
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1no pudimos: preterite of poder = we didn’t manage (on that occasion). Narrative past system: pluperfect, past progressive, iba a →
- 2entrar a in Latin America (Spain: entrar en); al = a + el. Articles: el, la, un, una; al and del →
- 3ya no quedaban = there were none left; quedar agrees with boletos. Verbs like gustar II: doler, parecer, quedar, importar, molestar, faltar →
- 4boletos = tickets in Latin America (Spain: entradas).
Variations
- No pudimos entrar al estadio porque ya no había boletos.
- No pudimos entrar al concierto: ya no quedaban entradas.