Breakdown of Acabamos de llegar al vestíbulo.
llegar
to arrive
a
to
acabar de
to have just
el vestíbulo
the entrance hall; lobby
Questions & Answers about Acabamos de llegar al vestíbulo.
What does acabamos de llegar mean grammatically?
It uses the structure acabar de + infinitive, which means to have just done something.
So:
- acabamos de llegar = we have just arrived / we just arrived
Here, llegar means to arrive, and acabamos de adds the idea of just now.
Why does acabar mean just did here? I thought acabar meant to finish.
By itself, acabar usually means to finish or to end:
- Acabamos el proyecto. = We finished the project.
But when you use acabar de + infinitive, it becomes a very common expression meaning to have just done something:
- Acabamos de comer. = We just ate.
- Acabo de llamarte. = I just called you.
So the de + infinitive is what changes the meaning.
Why is it acabamos and not some other form?