Word
Este año nos hemos alojado en una pensión.
Meaning
This year we have stayed at a guesthouse.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Este año nos hemos alojado en una pensión.
un
a, an, some
en
in / on / by (means of transport) / about (after pensar)
el año
the year
nos
to us / ourselves / us (direct object)
Questions & Answers about Este año nos hemos alojado en una pensión.
Why is the present perfect (nos hemos alojado) used here instead of the simple past ("we stayed")?
In Spain, the present perfect is used for past actions that happened in a time period that is not yet finished. Because the sentence says este año (this year) and the year isn't over yet, we use hemos alojado instead of the simple past (nos alojamos).
Where exactly does the reflexive pronoun nos go when using a two-part verb like hemos alojado?
Reflexive pronouns like nos must always go before the conjugated auxiliary verb (hemos). You cannot put the pronoun between the two words (never hemos nos alojado) and you cannot attach it to the end (never hemos alojadonos).
Why is the verb alojarse reflexive in this sentence?
The non-reflexive verb alojar means "to host" or "to provide lodging for" someone else. To say that we stayed somewhere, we use the reflexive form alojarse, which literally translates to "to accommodate ourselves."
Doesn't the word pensión mean a retirement pension?
It can mean that, but in Spain, a pensión is also a very common type of budget accommodation. It is similar to a guesthouse, hostel, or boarding house, and is usually much smaller and cheaper than a standard hotel.