Breakdown of El afán de los chicos continuó creciendo antes de que saliera el sol.
de
from / of
el chico
the boy (older / teenager)
salir
to go out / to leave
el sol
the sun
que
that / than
continuar
to continue
crecer
to grow
antes
before / earlier
el afán
the eagerness
Questions & Answers about El afán de los chicos continuó creciendo antes de que saliera el sol.
Why do we use the imperfect subjunctive saliera here instead of the preterite salió?
The phrase antes de que (before) always triggers the subjunctive in Spanish because the action following it is viewed as a pending or anticipated event. Since the main verb continuó is in the past, the anticipated action of the sun coming out must "backshift" to the past as well, which requires the imperfect subjunctive saliera.
Could we just say crecía instead of continuó creciendo?
Is it normal to put the subject at the end, as in saliera el sol?
Yes, it is very common. In dependent clauses, especially with verbs of appearing, leaving, or arriving (like salir, llegar, or aparecer), Spanish speakers frequently place the subject after the verb. Saying antes de que el sol saliera is perfectly fine, but saliera el sol sounds very natural and flows beautifully here.
What exactly does the noun afán mean?
The word afán translates to eagerness, zeal, or a strong desire. It implies that someone is putting enthusiastic, focused effort into a goal or task.
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