Mi abuelo lloró al contar su historia.

my

Breakdown of Mi abuelo lloró al contar su historia.

• su: his
• la historia: the story
• el abuelo: the grandfather
• contar: to tell
• llorar: to cry

Questions & Answers about Mi abuelo lloró al contar su historia.

Why do we use al in al contar instead of using something like cuando?

In Spanish, al with the infinitive can carry the meaning of “upon doing something” or “when doing something.” It’s a more compact and somewhat formal way of showing that one action happens right at the same time as another.

Why is contar in the infinitive form?

When you use al to indicate “upon/while doing something,” the next verb remains in its infinitive form because it’s not the main verb of the sentence but rather an action connected to the main verb.

Why is lloró in the preterite tense?

Lloró is in the preterite because the action is viewed as completed in the past. It describes a specific event: he cried at that moment when he told his story, rather than an ongoing or repeated action.

Could we say al contar de su historia?

No. In Spanish, you wouldn’t add de in this construction. The correct phrasing is al contar su historia. If you add de, it would sound unnatural and not follow standard usage. The direct object (su historia) directly follows contar without a preposition.