Breakdown of Vimos a los chicos balanceando las piernas.
ver
to see / to look / appear
los
the (masculine plural)
las
the (feminine plural)
el chico
the boy (older / teenager)
Questions & Answers about Vimos a los chicos balanceando las piernas.
Why is balanceando used here instead of the infinitive balancear?
With perception verbs like ver, using the gerund (balanceando) emphasizes that you saw an action in progress. It means they were in the middle of swinging their legs when you saw them. If you used the infinitive (balancear), it would imply you watched the entire action from start to finish as a completed event.
Why does it say las piernas instead of sus piernas for "their legs"?
In Spanish, when it is obvious whose body parts are being referred to, you use the definite article (las) rather than a possessive adjective (sus). Since the kids are the ones doing the swinging, it is naturally understood that they are moving their own legs.
Why is there an a before los chicos?
This is the personal a. Even though los chicos is the direct object of the verb vimos (they are the ones being seen), Spanish requires you to put an a before a direct object when it refers to specific people or beloved pets.
Does balanceando mean balancing, like keeping your balance?
Not usually! To balance, as in keeping your physical equilibrium, is equilibrar or mantener el equilibrio. Balancear means to swing, rock, or sway something back and forth, which is exactly what the kids are doing with their legs here.