Breakdown of El actor soltó un chillido cuando la cucaracha se echó a volar.
un
a, an (masculine)
el actor
the actor
cuando
when (statement)
volar
to fly
soltar
to let go / to drop / to let out (a cry or laugh)
echarse a
to burst out / to start (sudden reaction)
el chillido
shriek / squeal
la cucaracha
cockroach
Questions & Answers about El actor soltó un chillido cuando la cucaracha se echó a volar.
Why use se echó a instead of just empezó a?
Empezar a just means "to start." The structure echarse a plus an infinitive is used for actions that start very suddenly or unexpectedly. Since the cockroach suddenly took flight, se echó a volar captures that surprise perfectly!
Doesn't soltar usually mean "to let go" or "to drop"?
Yes! But it is also commonly used with sounds or expressions to mean "to let out" or "to burst out with." Here, soltó un chillido means he let out a shriek. You might also hear soltar una carcajada (to burst out laughing).
Why do we need the a before volar?
In Spanish, when a verb indicating a beginning or motion (like empezar, comenzar, or echarse) is followed by an infinitive, you must use the preposition a to connect them.
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