Breakdown of El niño se echó a llorar sin su salvavidas.
el niño
the boy
su
his/her/its/their/your (formal)
llorar
to cry
sin
without
echarse a
to burst out / to start (sudden reaction)
el salvavidas
the life vest
Questions & Answers about El niño se echó a llorar sin su salvavidas.
Why does salvavidas end in an -s if the boy only has one life vest?
Why use se echó a llorar instead of empezó a llorar?
While empezó a llorar simply means 'started to cry,' the phrase echarse a followed by an infinitive emphasizes a sudden or explosive start to an action. Here, it translates closer to 'burst into tears.'
Can I use echarse a with any verb to mean 'start doing'?
Not quite. It is mostly reserved for spontaneous, sudden physical actions or emotional reactions. Common combinations are echarse a reír (to burst out laughing), echarse a correr (to take off running), or echarse a volar (to take flight). For regular planned actions, stick to empezar a or comenzar a.
Does salvavidas change if it refers to a lifeguard instead of a life vest?
In many parts of Latin America, salvavidas is used for both the floating device and the person guarding the pool. Because it is an invariable compound noun, the word itself doesn't change. You just change the article to match the person: el salvavidas for a male lifeguard, and la salvavidas for a female lifeguard.
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