Breakdown of Después de que el maestro despuntara el bonsái, yo usé la arcilla.
yo
I
de
from / of
usar
to use / to wear
que
that / than
la
the (feminine)
después
after / afterwards
el maestro
the teacher (primary school) / the master
despuntar
to trim
el bonsái
the bonsai
la arcilla
the clay
Questions & Answers about Después de que el maestro despuntara el bonsái, yo usé la arcilla.
Why is despuntara in the imperfect subjunctive here? Didn't the pruning already happen?
Yes, it did! In standard grammar, you use the indicative for completed past actions after después de que, so you'd normally expect the preterite despuntó. However, in many parts of Latin America, it is very common to use the imperfect subjunctive (despuntara) after después de que even for events that are already finished.
What exactly does the verb despuntar mean?
Despuntar is built from the word punta (point or tip). It literally means to nip off or remove the tips of something. For a bonsái, it refers to the careful pruning of the leaf or branch tips.
Could I just use the infinitive and say después de despuntar?
No, because the person doing the pruning is different from the person using the clay. You only use después de plus an infinitive (like después de despuntar) when the subject is the same for both actions. Since the subjects change here (el maestro vs. yo), you have to use después de que with a conjugated verb.
Why does the word bonsái have an accent mark?
Bonsái is stressed on the final syllable. Spanish spelling rules state that words ending in a vowel, n, or s that are stressed on the last syllable must carry a written accent mark. Even though it is a loanword from Japanese, it has been adapted to follow standard Spanish spelling rules.
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