Question 1

Why does acabábamos de perder mean "we had just lost" instead of "we just lost"?

Accepted Answer

In the present tense, acabamos de perder means "we just lost". But in this sentence, acabar is in the imperfect past tense (acabábamos). Using the imperfect of acabar de plus an infinitive creates a past resultative meaning, which translates to "had just" done something before another past event.

Question 2

Why start the sentence with Como instead of Porque to say "Since" or "Because"?

Accepted Answer

In Spanish, you generally cannot start a sentence with Porque to introduce a reason unless you are answering a direct question. When the cause comes before the result at the very beginning of a sentence, you must use Como.

Question 3

Why use the imperfect tense era instead of the preterite fue for "was"?

Accepted Answer

We use the imperfect era here because it describes a background condition or sets the scene in the past. The signal being awful is an ongoing state at that moment, rather than a completed event with a clear beginning and end.

Question 4

Is pésima just another word for bad?

Accepted Answer

It is stronger than just bad (mala). Pésima is an absolute superlative that means "awful," "terrible," or "the absolute worst." Because it already implies "very bad," you don't need to put muy in front of it.

Como la señal era pésima, acabábamos de perder la cobertura.

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