Por suerte, abrimos la salida.

Because abrimos is the same form for:

• present tense: we open
• preterite: we opened

This happens with many -ir verbs in Spanish. So without more context, abrimos la salida could mean either:

• we open the exit
• we opened the exit

Usually the surrounding conversation makes it clear which one is intended.

Spanish often leaves out subject pronouns because the verb ending already tells you who the subject is.

• abrimos = we open / we opened

So nosotros is understood automatically. You could say Nosotros abrimos la salida, but it is usually unnecessary unless you want emphasis, contrast, or clarity.

For example:

• Nosotros abrimos la salida, no ellos. = We opened the exit, not them.

Por suerte is a very common expression meaning luckily, fortunately, or by good luck.

It is made of:

• por = by / because of / through
• suerte = luck

Together, it functions like an adverbial expression modifying the whole sentence:

• Por suerte, abrimos la salida.
• Luckily / Fortunately, we opened the exit.

It is very natural in everyday Spanish.

The comma is used because Por suerte is an introductory expression at the beginning of the sentence.

This is similar to English:

• Fortunately, we opened the exit.

In Spanish, these sentence-opening comments are often set off with a comma:

• Por suerte, ...
• Claro, ...
• En realidad, ...
• A veces, ...

You may sometimes see punctuation used more loosely in informal writing, but the comma here is standard.

Spanish often uses the definite article more than English does.

• la salida = the exit

In this sentence, it refers to a specific exit, so la sounds natural. Saying just abrimos salida would not work here.

Common pattern:

• abrir la puerta = open the door
• abrir la ventana = open the window
• abrir la salida = open the exit

So the article is needed because salida is a specific noun being acted on.

Salida usually means exit, way out, or departure, depending on context.

In this sentence, la salida most naturally means:

• the exit
• the way out

Possible contexts:

• opening an emergency exit
• opening a route out of a place
• creating access to leave somewhere

So although the basic gloss may be exit, the exact nuance depends on the situation.

It can be, but the exact naturalness depends on context.

Abrir means to open, so abrir la salida can make sense if the exit is something that can literally be opened or made accessible.

Examples:

• opening an exit door
• opening an escape route
• opening access to leave

In some situations, Spanish might also use other verbs depending on the idea:

• despejar la salida = clear the exit
• habilitar la salida = make the exit available
• encontrar la salida = find the exit

So abrimos la salida is understandable, but context matters for how idiomatic it feels.

Yes. Salida is a flexible word. Depending on context, it can mean:

• exit
• departure
• way out / solution
• outing
• output in some technical contexts

But in abrimos la salida, the most likely interpretation is a physical or practical exit/way out, because abrir pairs most naturally with something that can be opened or made accessible.

Since abrimos can be present or preterite, Spanish often relies on context. But if you want to make the past meaning clearer, you can add a time expression, for example:

• Por suerte, abrimos la salida ayer. = Luckily, we opened the exit yesterday.
• Por suerte, ya abrimos la salida. = Luckily, we already opened the exit.

If you want the present meaning to be clearer, you could also add context:

• Por suerte, abrimos la salida cada mañana. = Luckily, we open the exit every morning.

Abrimos is pronounced approximately like ah-BREE-mohs.

Breakdown:

• a as in father
• bri with the stress on bri
• mos with a clear o, not like English mowz

The stress falls on the second-to-last syllable:

• a-BRI-mos

That is normal because the word ends in -s, so Spanish default stress rules apply.

Yes. Afortunadamente also means fortunately.

Compare:

• Por suerte, abrimos la salida.
• Afortunadamente, abrimos la salida.

Difference in tone:

• por suerte = more common and conversational
• afortunadamente = a bit more formal or polished

In everyday Latin American Spanish, por suerte is very common and natural.

Because abrir is an -ir verb, and the nosotros form in both the present and preterite is -imos:

• abrir → abrimos

Compare:

• vivir → vivimos
• escribir → escribimos

By contrast:

• -ar verbs use -amos
• -er verbs use -emos

Examples:

• hablar → hablamos
• comer → comemos
• abrir → abrimos

So abrimos follows the regular -ir pattern.