Breakdown of Vimos a una veintena de manifestantes con pancartas.
de
from / of
una
a, an (feminine)
ver
to see / to look / appear
con
with
el manifestante
the protester
la pancarta
the banner
la veintena
the about twenty
a
personal 'a' (marks a human direct object)
Questions & Answers about Vimos a una veintena de manifestantes con pancartas.
Why use veintena instead of just veinte here?
Words ending in -ena turn numbers into collective nouns. While veinte means exactly twenty, una veintena translates to a group of twenty. In contexts like this, it is often used to give an estimate, meaning about twenty.
Why is there a de after veintena?
Because veintena is a noun, not a standard number. Just as you say a group of protesters in English, you must use de to link the collective noun (una veintena) to the noun it describes (manifestantes). If you used the exact number, you would drop it and just say veinte manifestantes.
Why do we need the personal a before una veintena, since a group isn't technically a person?
The personal a is triggered by what the group is made up of. Even though the direct object starts with the collective noun una veintena, the actual entities being seen are people (manifestantes). Because of this, the personal a is still required.
What is the difference between pancartas and carteles?
They are similar, but a pancarta is specifically a large sign or banner carried by hand, usually at a protest, strike, or parade. A cartel is more general and usually refers to a poster that is attached to a wall or bulletin board.
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