Learn Spanish (Spain): Ya habíamos hecho el transbordo cuando la incidencia provocó un retraso. - We had already made the transfer when the incident caused a delay.

Word

Ya habíamos hecho el transbordo cuando la incidencia provocó un retraso.

Meaning

We had already made the transfer when the incident caused a delay.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Spanish (Spain)

Lesson

Navigating Public Transit

Breakdown of Ya habíamos hecho el transbordo cuando la incidencia provocó un retraso.

Questions & Answers about Ya habíamos hecho el transbordo cuando la incidencia provocó un retraso.

Why does this sentence use two different past tenses, habíamos hecho and provocó?

This is a classic way to show the order of events in the past. We use the past perfect tense (habíamos hecho, meaning "had made") for the action that happened first. We use the preterite tense (provocó, meaning "caused") for the interrupting or later action.

I know past participles usually end in -ado or -ido. Why is it hecho here?

Hecho is the highly irregular past participle of the verb hacer (to do/make). Because it is irregular, it doesn't follow the normal -ido rule. You will use this exact same form for related compound verbs too, like deshacer (to undo) becoming deshecho.

Does incidencia translate directly to the English word "incidence"?

It can, but in this context it is a slight false friend. In Spain, especially when talking about public transport, travel, or services, una incidencia refers to an "incident," "issue," or "problem." If your train stops unexpectedly, the staff will usually announce it as una incidencia.

Is hacer el transbordo the standard phrase for changing trains or buses?

Yes, in Spain, changing from one line or mode of transport to another is called hacer un transbordo (literally "to make a transfer"). You can also use it as a single verb, transbordar, but the noun phrase used in this sentence is exactly what you will hear on the metro or commuter trains.