Word
La bomba está a punto de explotar y el techo está a punto de derrumbarse.
Meaning
The bomb is about to explode and the roof is about to collapse.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of La bomba está a punto de explotar y el techo está a punto de derrumbarse.
de
from / of
y
and
estar
to be (location/state)
a
to
Questions & Answers about La bomba está a punto de explotar y el techo está a punto de derrumbarse.
How does the phrase estar a punto de work in this sentence?
It is a fixed expression meaning "to be about to" do something. You conjugate estar to match the subject (la bomba or el techo), leave a punto de exactly as it is, and always follow it with an infinitive verb like explotar or derrumbarse.
Why is the pronoun se attached to the end of derrumbarse? Can it go anywhere else?
Derrumbarse is used here to mean "to collapse" or "to fall down" on its own. Because it is an infinitive verb, the pronoun se attaches directly to the end. However, with this type of phrase, you also have the option to move the pronoun before the conjugated verb: el techo se está a punto de derrumbar. Both options are perfectly correct.
Could I say está por explotar instead of está a punto de explotar?
I sometimes see tejado used for "roof". Why use techo here?