Word
Al ver que la fiebre sube, mi padre se pone preocupado y llama al médico.
Meaning
When he sees that the fever is going up, my father gets worried and calls the doctor.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Al ver que la fiebre sube, mi padre se pone preocupado y llama al médico.
mi
my
al
to the
y
and
que
that
Questions & Answers about Al ver que la fiebre sube, mi padre se pone preocupado y llama al médico.
What does “Al ver” mean here, and how is this structure formed?
“Al ver” literally comes from “a” + “el” + infinitive → “al ver” and is usually translated as:
- “On seeing / Upon seeing”
- Very often it just works like “when [someone] sees” in natural English.
Structure:
- al + infinitive = upon/when doing X
It expresses an action that happens at the same time or just before the main action.
What’s the difference between “Al ver que…” and “Cuando ve que…”?
Both can often be translated as “When he sees that…”, but there’s a nuance:
- Literally “on seeing that…”
- Slightly more formal/literary.
- Focuses on the moment of seeing as the trigger.
Cuando ve que…
- More neutral and everyday.
- Just “when(ever) he sees that…”
In this context, both could work:
Meaning is almost the same; the original just sounds a bit more descriptive or narrative.
Why is it “que la fiebre sube” and not just ?