Question 1

In English, "would have forced" usually implies they didn't actually do it. Does habrían forzado mean they failed to force the lock?

Accepted Answer

Not in this context. While the conditional perfect (habrían forzado) can be used for hypothetical situations that didn't happen (like "they would have forced it if they had the tools"), here it is used for past conjecture. It means they probably did it, or it is suspected they did it, but it hasn't been officially confirmed yet. This is very common in Spanish journalism and police reports.

Question 2

How else could I express this assumption without using the conditional perfect?

Accepted Answer

If you want to use the standard preterite (simple past) tense, you need to add an adverb that shows uncertainty. You could say Probablemente forzaron la cerradura (They probably forced the lock) or Supuestamente forzaron la cerradura (They supposedly forced the lock).

Question 3

Is the word cerradura related to the verb cerrar?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Cerrar means "to close." The suffix -dura is often attached to verb stems to create nouns that represent the instrument used to perform the action or the result of the action. A cerradura is literally the device that keeps something closed—a lock. Another common example is picadura (a bite or sting) from the verb picar.

Question 4

Could I say they "broke" the lock instead of using forzado?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you could use the verb romper (to break), but remember that its past participle is irregular: roto. You would say habrían roto la cerradura. However, forzado (forced) is the more precise and natural colocation in Spanish when talking about tampering with locks or doors to gain entry.

Los sospechosos habrían forzado la cerradura del garaje.

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