Learn Spanish (Latin America): Como el caballo relinche, la gente en la grada se echará a correr. - If the horse neighs, the people in the stands will suddenly start running.

Como el caballo relinche, la gente en la grada se echará a correr.

If the horse neighs, the people in the stands will suddenly start running.

Breakdown of Como el caballo relinche, la gente en la grada se echará a correr.

Questions & Answers about Como el caballo relinche, la gente en la grada se echará a correr.

Why use se echará a correr instead of empezará a correr?

The structure echar(se) a + infinitive emphasizes an action starting suddenly, impulsively, or abruptly. While empezar a is just a neutral "to start," echarse a paints a vivid picture of the crowd taking off in a sudden panic.

Is the pronoun se required here? Could I just say echará a correr?

You will actually hear both! Traditionally, verbs of movement (correr, andar, volar) drop the pronoun to become echar a correr. Verbs of emotional reaction, on the other hand, require it (echarse a llorar, echarse a reír). However, in many parts of Latin America, native speakers often apply the reflexive se to movement verbs too, making se echará a correr perfectly natural and common.

Why is relinche in the subjunctive, and why is como translated as "If"?

When como is followed by the subjunctive, it creates a conditional clause similar to "if," but it is specifically used for warnings, threats, or undesirable outcomes. Because you cannot use si (if) with the present subjunctive in Spanish, como + present subjunctive steps in to mean "If the horse happens to neigh (which would be a bad thing)..."

Since "the people" refers to a group, why is the verb singular?