Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Los pescadores leen la marea antes de salir a trabajar cada madrugada. - The fishermen read the tide before going out to work every dawn.

While leer literally means “to read,” it’s also used to mean “to interpret” or “gauge” natural signs—much like “reading someone’s body language.” So leer la marea means “to gauge or interpret the tide,” i.e. observing water levels, currents, and other clues to predict the best time to go out.

Why is leen in the simple present tense and not in the past or future?

In Spanish, the simple present tense is commonly used for habitual or repeated actions. Because the fishermen regularly read the tide every early morning, the present tense leen conveys that routine. In English we’d similarly say “Fishermen read the tide every dawn.”

Why is it la marea (singular) instead of las mareas?

Using the singular la marea treats the tide as a general phenomenon in that location. You’re talking about “the tide” as a whole concept, not individual high and low tides. Spanish often uses the singular when referring to a natural or abstract phenomenon in general terms.

What is the role of antes de + infinitive in antes de salir a trabajar?

Antes de means “before” and is always followed by a noun or an infinitive (a verb’s base form). Here, salir a trabajar (“to go out to work”) is the infinitive phrase. So antes de salir a trabajar translates as “before going out to work,” linking the two actions in one clause.

Why say salir a trabajar instead of simply trabajar?

Salir a trabajar literally means “to go out to work.” It emphasizes the act of leaving the shore (or home) to head out on the water. It’s common when the departure itself is part of the routine you want to highlight.

What does cada madrugada mean, and how is madrugada different from mañana?

Cada means “each” or “every,” and madrugada refers to the early pre-dawn hours (roughly midnight to sunrise). Mañana typically covers sunrise until noon. So cada madrugada means “every dawn” or “each early morning before sunrise.”

Why isn’t there an article after cada, as in cada madrugada instead of cada la madrugada?

When cada precedes a noun, Spanish grammar prohibits using another article. Cada already conveys “each/every,” so adding la or una would be redundant and ungrammatical.

Why does the sentence begin with Los pescadores? In English we’d say “Fishermen read the tide…,” dropping “the.”

Spanish often uses the definite article (el, la, los, las) with a plural noun to express a generic group. Los pescadores means “fishermen in general.” English achieves the same generic sense simply with “fishermen,” but Spanish requires the article for that effect.