Breakdown of Un ladrón intentó entrar en la casa de mi vecino, pero no logró forzar la cerradura.
en
in
mi
my
de
of
él
he
la casa
the house
entrar
to enter
intentar
to try
un
a
pero
but
no
not
,
comma
el vecino
the neighbor
forzar
to force
el ladrón
the thief
lograr
to succeed
la cerradura
the lock
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Questions & Answers about Un ladrón intentó entrar en la casa de mi vecino, pero no logró forzar la cerradura.
What does the word ladrón mean in this sentence?
Ladrón translates to "thief" in English. It describes someone who commits theft, which sets the stage for the actions that follow in the sentence.
How do the verbs intentó and logró function differently here?
Intentó comes from intentar and means "attempted" or "tried", while logró comes from lograr and means "succeeded" or "managed". The sentence contrasts these actions: the thief attempted to enter the house but did not succeed in forcing the lock.
Why is the preposition en used after entrar instead of another preposition like a?
In Spanish, entrar is typically followed by en when referring to entering a location. So entrar en la casa naturally means "to enter the house". This preposition is standard in such contexts, even though in some cases a might appear in other expressions of movement.
What does the phrase forzar la cerradura imply about the thief's method?
The phrase forzar la cerradura literally means "to force the lock", implying that the thief tried to break or bypass the locking mechanism in order to gain entry. It indicates the use of force to overcome a security measure, even though his attempt was unsuccessful.
Why are the verbs in the preterite tense (intentó, logró) used in this sentence?
The preterite tense is used to describe actions that were completed at a specific moment in the past. In this sentence, both intentó and logró refer to discrete, completed actions—the thief’s attempt and his failure to force the lock—which makes the preterite the appropriate choice.