Breakdown of Acababan de empujar el carrito por el barranco.
por
for / by / through / in/during (part of the day)
acabar de
to have just
empujar
to push
el carrito
the cart (shopping, small)
el barranco
the ravine
Questions & Answers about Acababan de empujar el carrito por el barranco.
Why is acababan in the imperfect tense here instead of the preterite?
Could we use the past perfect here and say habían empujado?
You could, but it changes the meaning. Habían empujado just means "they had pushed" at some point in the past. Using acababan de empujar specifically adds the crucial detail that they had just done it moments ago.
Why do we use por in por el barranco instead of a or para?
Por is used to indicate movement through, along, or down a physical space. Since the cart is being pushed down or over the ravine, por is the right preposition. Para would imply the ravine was simply their final destination, and a would just mean "to."
Does carrito literally mean a small car here?
It is the diminutive of carro, but in everyday Spanish, a carrito usually refers to a shopping cart (carrito de compras), a baby stroller, or a small handcart. Given that they are pushing it down a ravine, it's most likely a shopping cart.
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