Word
Al llegar a casa, me desato los cordones y dejo las zapatillas junto a la puerta.
Meaning
When I get home, I untie my laces and leave my trainers by the door.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Al llegar a casa, me desato los cordones y dejo las zapatillas junto a la puerta.
yo
I
la casa
the house
a
to
y
and
Questions & Answers about Al llegar a casa, me desato los cordones y dejo las zapatillas junto a la puerta.
What does al llegar a casa mean grammatically?
Al + infinitive is a very common Spanish structure meaning when, upon, or on doing something.
So:
It is literally:
- a + el = al
- llegar = to arrive
This structure is often used to introduce an action that happens immediately before another one.
Examples:
- Al entrar, saludó a todos. = When he came in, he greeted everyone.
- Al terminar, apaga la luz. = When you finish, turn off the light.
In your sentence, it sets the scene for what the speaker usually does after getting home.
Why is it a casa and not a la casa?
In Spanish, casa often appears without an article when it means home in a general, personal sense.
So:
If you say la casa, you are usually talking about the house/building itself, more literally.
Compare:
- Llego a casa a las seis. = I get home at six.
- Llego a la casa de mi abuela a las seis. = I arrive at my grandmother’s house at six.