ELONIO
Log inSign up

Se trabajaba con un entusiasmo inagotable en aquellos años.

Se trabajaba con un entusiasmo inagotable en aquellos años.
One used to work with inexhaustible enthusiasm in those years.
From Lesson 367:First-person wishes (¡quién!)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Se trabajaba con un entusiasmo inagotable en aquellos años.

Why is se used here if the translation says "one"?
This is the impersonal se. It is used to talk about things people do in general, without specifying a particular person. In English, we usually translate this as "one," "people," or a generic "you" (e.g., "People used to work...").
Why use the imperfect tense (trabajaba) instead of the preterite (trabajó)?
The imperfect is used here because it describes an ongoing, habitual situation in the past ("used to work"). It sets the background scene of what times were like back then, rather than pointing to a single, completed action.
How does the word inagotable break down?
It comes from the verb agotar, which means to exhaust, deplete, or use up. By adding the prefix in- (not) and the suffix -able (able to be), it becomes inagotable—literally "unable to be exhausted," or "inexhaustible."
Why use aquellos instead of esos for "those"?
While both mean "those," aquellos implies a greater distance in space or time. Using aquellos años instead of esos años gives a nostalgic or historical feeling, emphasizing that those years are relatively far in the past.

Learn Se trabajaba con un entusiasmo inagotable en aquellos años 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 →