Temporal actions with al + infinitive
To express "upon doing something" or "when doing something," Spanish uses al followed by an infinitive verb. This links two events that happen at the same time or consecutively.
| Upon preparing the fishing rod, one must use a good bait. | Al preparar la caña, hay que usar una buena carnada. |
Because the infinitive doesn't indicate tense, the main verb sets the timeframe for the whole sentence:
| Upon putting the bait on the hook, I lost it. | Al poner la carnada en el anzuelo, la perdí. |
| Upon returning to the deck, the sailor cleans the tuna. | Al regresar a la cubierta, el marinero limpia el atún. |
Word order
An al + infinitive phrase often appears at the beginning of a sentence, but it can also follow the main clause:
| I was about to release the reel upon seeing the fishing line. | Yo estaba por soltar el carrete al ver el sedal. |
| One must be careful upon touching the hook with the bait. | Hay que tener cuidado al tocar el anzuelo con la carnada. |
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