Breakdown of El tren llega en veintiséis minutos.
en
in / on / by (means of transport) / about (after pensar)
llegar
to arrive
el tren
the train
el minuto
the minute
veintiséis
twenty-six
Questions & Answers about El tren llega en veintiséis minutos.
Why is 'twenty-six' written as one word (veintiséis) instead of three (veinte y seis)?
In Spanish, numbers from 21 to 29 are always combined into a single word. You drop the final -e of veinte, replace it with -i-, and attach the single digit. You only use three separate words for numbers 31 and above, like treinta y seis.
Why does veintiséis have an accent mark when the number seis does not?
The word seis is just one syllable, so it doesn't need an accent mark. However, when you combine it into the longer word veintiséis, you naturally emphasize the last syllable when speaking. Because the new word ends in the letter 's', Spanish spelling rules require a written accent on the é to show that the spoken stress belongs at the end.
Can I use the present tense llega for an event that hasn't happened yet?
Yes! Just like in English ('The train arrives in twenty-six minutes'), Spanish frequently uses the present tense to talk about officially scheduled events in the near future, such as transportation timetables.
Is en the normal word to use for 'in' when talking about time?
Yes, when you are talking about how long it will take for an event to happen (like a countdown to the train arriving), you use en. En veintiséis minutos translates perfectly to 'in twenty-six minutes'.
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