Breakdown of Recién apilamos el tablón y tenemos que secarlo.
y
and
tener
to have
que
that / than
lo
it / him (direct object)
Questions & Answers about Recién apilamos el tablón y tenemos que secarlo.
How does recién work here, and why aren't we using acabamos de?
In Latin America, recién is frequently used directly before a conjugated verb to mean that you just did something. While acabamos de apilar is also perfectly correct, using recién apilamos is the everyday way to express this immediate past in many Latin American countries. In Spain, recién is mostly restricted to preceding past participles.
Is apilamos in the present or preterite tense here?
Is tablón just another word for board?
Tablón is actually the augmentative form of tabla (board). By dropping the final vowel and adding the -ón suffix, it indicates a large, thick, or heavy board, which is why it translates specifically to plank.
Could I put the lo from secarlo earlier in the sentence?