Breakdown of Sin embargo, el presidente acabó por transigir y hacer una concesión.
y
and
una
a, an (feminine)
hacer
to do / to make
por
for / by / through / in/during (part of the day)
sin embargo
however
el presidente
the president
acabar
to end up (doing something)
transigir
to compromise
la concesión
the concession
Questions & Answers about Sin embargo, el presidente acabó por transigir y hacer una concesión.
How does acabó por transigir differ from acabó transigiendo or terminó transigiendo?
Both structures translate to "ended up compromising," and you can use them interchangeably in most cases. However, acabar por + infinitive (or terminar por + infinitive) often implies overcoming some resistance, struggle, or hesitation. This fits perfectly here, as the president finally gave in after likely holding out. Using a gerund (acabó transigiendo) focuses just a bit more on the resulting state of the action.
Why is hacer in the infinitive here? Should it be conjugated to match the president?
It stays in the infinitive because it belongs to the same acabó por structure as the first verb. The sentence is essentially a shortened version of acabó por transigir y acabó por hacer. When two verbs share the same periphrasis (auxiliary verb + preposition), you only need to use the auxiliary structure once and can simply connect the following infinitives with y.
I thought "to compromise" was comprometer. Why does this sentence use transigir?
Comprometer is a classic false friend! In Spanish, comprometer means to jeopardize, implicate, or get engaged to be married. When you mean "compromise" in the sense of yielding, giving in, or meeting someone halfway, you need transigir or the phrase llegar a un acuerdo.
Learn Sin embargo, el presidente acabó por transigir y hacer una concesión 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