Breakdown of Hace un mes, la tienda vieja se convirtió en un centro comercial.
un
a, an (masculine)
la tienda
the store
viejo
old
el centro
downtown
el mes
the month
hacer
(of time) for / ago
convertirse en
to become
comercial
commercial
Questions & Answers about Hace un mes, la tienda vieja se convirtió en un centro comercial.
Why do we use se convirtió en here instead of another verb for 'to become' like se puso or se hizo?
The verb convertirse en is used for profound, radical transformations, particularly when a subject turns into a completely different noun. Because the old store physically changed its entire nature and purpose to become a shopping center, this is the perfect verb. Ponerse is for temporary states, and hacerse usually implies a voluntary change, like a profession.
Why is the preposition en used after se convirtió?
Whenever convertirse or transformarse is followed by the thing the subject changes into, it requires the preposition en. While English uses 'into,' Spanish pairs these verbs of profound transformation directly with en plus a noun, like un centro comercial.
Could we say la vieja tienda instead of la tienda vieja?
You could, but it changes the nuance. Placing the adjective after the noun (la tienda vieja) is objective, meaning the store was physically old in age. Putting it before the noun (la vieja tienda) would make it subjective, often meaning 'the former store' or adding a sense of nostalgia. In a literal physical transformation, the objective description works best.
Why does this sentence use the present tense hace for a past event?
In Spanish, the standard formula to say 'ago' is the present tense hace followed by a period of time. It stays in the present tense because it measures the time that 'makes' (or has passed) from the event up to right now. Even though the store changed in the past, you never use a past tense like hizo for this time expression.
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