Breakdown of El piloto del barco usa una brújula para girar hacia el sur sin riesgo, incluso con niebla.
usar
to use
con
with
de
of
para
to
sin
without
incluso
even
la brújula
the compass
la niebla
the fog
el barco
the ship
hacia
toward
el sur
the south
girar
to turn
el riesgo
the risk
el piloto
the pilot
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Questions & Answers about El piloto del barco usa una brújula para girar hacia el sur sin riesgo, incluso con niebla.
Why is del used in el piloto del barco instead of just de el or de?
In Spanish, del is the contraction of de + el. You cannot separate them into de el, so you must write del. It shows that the pilot belongs to or is associated with that specific ship. Simply using de without an article (as in piloto de barco) makes the phrase more general (“a ship’s pilot” rather than “the ship’s pilot”).
Why is usa used here and not utiliza or another verb?
Both usa (from usar) and utiliza (from utilizar) mean “uses.”
- usar is more common and colloquial.
- utilizar is slightly more formal or technical.
In everyday speech, usa fits perfectly when talking about equipment like a compass.
What does para girar hacia el sur express, and why use para + infinitive?
The construction para + infinitive expresses purpose or intention (“in order to…”). Here, para girar means “in order to turn.” So usa una brújula para girar hacia el sur literally means “he uses a compass in order to turn toward the south.”
Why is hacia el sur used instead of simply al sur?
Both hacia el sur and al sur can mean “to/toward the south,” but there’s a nuance:
- hacia emphasizes direction or orientation (“toward”).
- a
- article (as in al sur) often indicates arrival at a destination.
Since the sentence describes orienting or steering in that direction rather than reaching a point, hacia el sur is more precise.
- article (as in al sur) often indicates arrival at a destination.
What does sin riesgo mean here, and can I say sin peligro instead?
sin riesgo means “without risk” or “safely.” You could say sin peligro, which is more “without danger.” Both are correct, but sin riesgo highlights safer navigation (avoiding hazards), while sin peligro focuses on the absence of danger.
Why does brújula have an accent mark on the ú?
brújula is an esdrújula word (stress on the antepenultimate syllable: brú-ju-la). Spanish orthography requires that all esdrújula words carry a written accent. Without the accent, the stress would default to the penultimate syllable, which would be incorrect.
What’s the role of incluso con niebla at the end of the sentence?
incluso con niebla means “even in fog” or “even with fog.” It adds the idea that the pilot can safely turn south even under difficult conditions. Placing it at the end emphasizes that fog won’t stop him from navigating safely.
Can I move incluso con niebla to the beginning of the sentence?
Yes, you can, though it slightly changes emphasis:
- Incluso con niebla, el piloto… highlights the fog first.
- El piloto… incluso con niebla focuses on the pilot and his action, then adds the fog condition.
Both are grammatically correct; choose placement based on what you want to stress.