Breakdown of Al ganar, desbloqueas el cofre de oro.
de
from / of
ganar
to win / to earn
el oro
the gold
al
upon / when (+ infinitive)
el cofre
the chest (a box)
desbloquear
to unlock
Questions & Answers about Al ganar, desbloqueas el cofre de oro.
Doesn't al usually mean "to the"? Why does it mean "upon" here?
Normally, al is a contraction of a + el meaning "to the". However, when you put al directly in front of an infinitive verb like ganar, it creates a phrase meaning "upon doing" or "when doing" that action.
How do we know who is winning if ganar is in the infinitive?
In al + infinitive phrases, the action almost always shares the same subject as the main verb. Because the main verb is desbloqueas (the tú or "you" form), it is automatically understood that you are the one winning.
Does al ganar only apply to present tense situations?
No, al + infinitive is completely neutral when it comes to time. It borrows its timeframe from the main verb. Here, desbloqueas is present tense. If the main verb were past tense, like desbloqueaste (you unlocked), then al ganar would mean "upon winning" in the past.
Why say cofre de oro instead of just using an adjective?
English often places nouns next to each other (like "gold chest"), but Spanish requires de to show what something is made of. You could use the adjective dorado (golden), but de oro emphasizes that the chest is actually made of gold, not just gold-colored.
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