Breakdown of El reloj está por dar las doce campanadas y tenemos las uvas.
y
and
tener
to have
estar
to be (location/state)
el reloj
the clock
dar
to give
doce
twelve
por
for / by / through / in/during (part of the day)
la campanada
chime / bell strike
la uva
grape
Questions & Answers about El reloj está por dar las doce campanadas y tenemos las uvas.
Why do we use "estar por" here instead of just saying the clock "va a dar" the chimes?
Could I use "estar a punto de" instead of "estar por" in this sentence?
Yes, absolutely! Estar a punto de dar and estar por dar are practically interchangeable here. Both mean "to be about to strike." When used with people, estar por can sometimes imply a personal intention, but with an inanimate object like a clock, they mean the exact same thing.
Why does the sentence use the verb "dar" (to give) for a clock striking?
Why are grapes mentioned right after talking about a clock striking twelve?
Learn El reloj está por dar las doce campanadas y tenemos las uvas and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free