Breakdown of La manifestación iba a terminar hace una quincena.
una
a, an (feminine)
ir
to go
a
to
terminar
to finish / to end
Questions & Answers about La manifestación iba a terminar hace una quincena.
Why does quincena translate to a specific time period rather than "about fifteen", given that the -ena suffix usually makes a number approximate?
While words like decena or veintena usually mean "around ten" or "around twenty", quincena is an exception. It specifically means a period of exactly 15 days (a fortnight). In Latin America, it is also extremely common to use la quincena to mean "payday", because many people receive their salaries every 15 days.
Could I use the conditional terminaría instead of iba a terminar here?
No, because iba a terminar specifically means "was going to end". This structure (the imperfect form of ir + a + infinitive) is the standard way to talk about a past plan or expectation that was likely interrupted or didn't happen as expected. The conditional terminaría translates to "would end", which doesn't capture that sense of a broken past plan.
Why is the word hace used before una quincena?
When placed before a time expression, the verb hacer (in its third-person singular form, hace) translates to "ago". The phrase hace una quincena translates directly to "a fortnight ago" or "fifteen days ago".
Is manifestación a false friend here?