Breakdown of Ayer terminamos de pagar el mantenimiento anual del acuario.
de
from / of
terminar
to finish / to end
pagar
to pay
del
from the / of the
ayer
yesterday
el mantenimiento
maintenance
anual
annual
el acuario
aquarium
Questions & Answers about Ayer terminamos de pagar el mantenimiento anual del acuario.
How does the structure of terminar de pagar compare to the venir a + infinitive periphrasis?
Both are verbal periphrases, but they focus on different phases of an action and require different prepositions. While venir a uses a to express approximation or a summarized result, terminar de uses de to express the absolute conclusion of an action. Verbs that indicate stopping or finishing, like terminar or dejar, almost always pair with de.
Could I just say Ayer pagamos el mantenimiento instead?
Yes, but terminamos de pagar adds specific nuance. By using this terminative periphrasis, the speaker emphasizes the completion of a process. It strongly implies that paying for the maintenance was an ongoing obligation or was done in installments, and yesterday marked the final payment.
Is terminamos in the present or past tense here?
Why does anual come directly after mantenimiento rather than before it?
Anual is a classifying adjective because it tells us the specific category or frequency of the maintenance being paid for. In Spanish, adjectives that strictly classify or restrict a noun's meaning must follow the noun, whereas subjective or purely descriptive adjectives sometimes have the flexibility to go before it.
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