Breakdown of ¡El cono se iba a desmoronar en mis manos!
en
in / on / at
la mano
the hand
mi
my
ir
to go
a
to
el cono
the cone
desmoronarse
to crumble
Questions & Answers about ¡El cono se iba a desmoronar en mis manos!
Does iba a desmoronar mean the cone actually crumbled?
Not necessarily. The structure iba a + infinitive (the imperfect of ir + a + infinitive) is used here to express an action that was on the verge of happening in the past. It usually implies that the event was interrupted or avoided, meaning the cone was about to crumble, but the speaker likely stopped it from happening by eating it.
Why is the pronoun se used here?
Can I attach the se to the end of the infinitive instead?
Is desmoronarse only used for physical objects like ice cream cones or buildings?
No, it is a very versatile word! While it describes physical objects crumbling, it is also incredibly common to use desmoronarse for abstract concepts. You can use it when a person has an emotional breakdown, or when a plan, marriage, or system completely falls apart.
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