Breakdown of A lo mejor el rey da por concluida la cacería temprano.
temprano
early
el rey
king
a lo mejor
maybe
dar por
to consider as
concluido
concluded
la cacería
the hunt
Questions & Answers about A lo mejor el rey da por concluida la cacería temprano.
How does the phrase da por concluida work here?
This uses the structure dar por followed by a past participle or adjective. It means to consider something as, or to officially treat something as being a certain way. Here, da por concluida means he considers it finished. Notice that the participle concluida acts like an adjective and must agree in gender and number with the noun it refers to, which is the feminine singular la cacería.
Wait, why is it da (indicative) instead of subjunctive after a lo mejor? Doesn't it express doubt?
It does express doubt, but a lo mejor is a strict exception to the usual rule. While expressions of doubt like tal vez and quizás often trigger the subjunctive, a lo mejor almost always takes the indicative in everyday Spanish. That is why we use the present indicative da here.
Could I change the word order and say da la cacería por concluida instead?
Yes, you can. The direct object (la cacería) can go right after the whole dar por + participle phrase, or it can be sandwiched between the verb and por. Both da por concluida la cacería and da la cacería por concluida are perfectly natural. Putting the noun at the end is just a bit more common when the noun phrase is long.
Is there a difference between cacería and caza?
Both words translate to hunt, but they have slightly different focuses. Caza is the general concept of hunting, the sport itself, or the game caught. Cacería refers to a specific organized hunting expedition or event. Since the king is on a specific outing that is wrapping up early, cacería is the best fit.
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