El parche tapó el pinchazo.

to cover

Breakdown of El parche tapó el pinchazo.

• el pinchazo: the puncture
• el parche: the repair patch

Questions & Answers about El parche tapó el pinchazo.

What does parche mean here?

Here, parche means patch: something used to cover or seal a hole, tear, or puncture.

Depending on context, parche can also mean:

• a medical patch or plaster
• an eye patch
• a fabric patch sewn onto clothing

In this sentence, it most naturally means a patch used to cover a puncture.

What does pinchazo mean in this sentence?

In this sentence, pinchazo means a puncture or small hole, especially the kind a patch can cover.

Be aware that pinchazo can mean different things in other contexts, such as:

• a puncture in a tyre
• a needle prick or injection
• a sharp stabbing pain

So the exact meaning depends on context. Here, because of parche, the learner should understand it as a puncture/hole.

Why is the verb tapó and not tapa?

Tapó is the preterite form of tapar, meaning covered, blocked, or sealed up.

So:

• tapa = covers / is covering (present)
• tapó = covered / sealed (completed past action)

The sentence describes a finished action in the past: the patch covered the puncture.

Why is there an accent on tapó?