Breakdown of Al ver que hay una abolladura, fotografío la carrocería.
una
a, an
haber
there was
fotografiar
to photograph
al ver que
upon seeing that
Questions & Answers about Al ver que hay una abolladura, fotografío la carrocería.
What does al ver mean here?
Al + infinitive is a very common Spanish pattern meaning when, upon, or on doing something.
So al ver means something like:
- when seeing
- upon seeing
- when I see / when one sees
In this sentence, a natural English idea is When I see that there is a dent...
A useful grammar note:
- al is the contraction of a + el
- with an infinitive, this forms the structure al + infinitive
Examples:
- Al llegar, llamo a mi mamá. = When I arrive, I call my mom.
- Al abrir la puerta, vi humo. = When I opened the door, I saw smoke.
In sentences like this, the subject of al ver is usually understood to be the same as the subject of the main verb.
Why does the sentence use hay una abolladura instead of está una abolladura?