ELONIO
Log inSign up

Acabamos de usar el tocadiscos.

Acabamos de usar el tocadiscos.
We just used the record player.
From Lesson 322:Plural compound nouns·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Acabamos de usar el tocadiscos.

Why does tocadiscos end in an s if we are only talking about one record player?
It is a compound noun made from the verb tocar (to play) and the plural noun discos (records). In Spanish, compound words formed with a verb and a noun almost always use the plural form of the noun, even when referring to a single object.
How would I say "the record players" in plural?
You just change the article! Since tocadiscos already ends in an s, the noun itself does not change when pluralized. "The record player" is el tocadiscos, and "the record players" is los tocadiscos.
Does acabamos de usar mean "we finished using" or "we just used"?
While the verb acabar literally means "to finish," the specific phrase acabar de + infinitive is the standard Spanish formula for saying you "just did" something. So here, it translates idiomatically to "we just used."
Why is acabamos in the present tense when the English translation says "we just used" (past)?
English uses the past tense to show the action is over, but Spanish uses the present tense for acabar de to show that you are currently in the state of having just finished the action. You will almost always see acabar de conjugated in the present tense to express "just did" something.

Learn Acabamos de usar el tocadiscos 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
Start learning Spanish →