Learn Spanish (Latin America): Él acaba de comprar un abrelatas.

Él acaba de comprar un abrelatas.

He just bought a can opener.

Breakdown of Él acaba de comprar un abrelatas.

Questions & Answers about Él acaba de comprar un abrelatas.

Why is it un abrelatas with an -s at the end, even though it's only one can opener?

Abrelatas is a compound noun formed by combining a verb (abre, from abrir, to open) and a plural noun (latas, cans). Because the second part is already plural, the word itself always ends in -s, even when you're talking about just one item. That's why it takes the singular article un.

If un abrelatas is singular, how would I say "some can openers" in the plural?

You just change the article! The noun abrelatas stays exactly the same. To say "the can openers" or "some can openers," you would say los abrelatas or unos abrelatas. Compound nouns formed with a verb and a plural noun don't change their endings when pluralized.

Are all compound nouns like abrelatas masculine?

Yes, almost all compound nouns made of a verb and a noun are masculine in Spanish. So you'll use masculine articles like el, un, los, or unos with words like el abrelatas (the can opener), el lavaplatos (the dishwasher), and el paraguas (the umbrella).

The sentence translates to "He just bought", but doesn't acabar mean "to finish"?