Log inSign up

Nada más comprobar el pulso, la médica pidió la inyección.

Nada más comprobar el pulso, la médica pidió la inyección.
Right after checking the pulse, the doctor asked for the injection.
From Lesson 374:Immediate actions (nada más + infinitive)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Nada más comprobar el pulso, la médica pidió la inyección.

Why is the infinitive comprobar used here instead of a past tense verb like comprobó?
The phrase nada más followed by a simple infinitive is a set structure used to express temporal immediacy, meaning 'as soon as' or 'right after'. Even though the overall action happened in the past, nada más always connects directly to an infinitive, never a conjugated verb.
Could I say en cuanto instead of nada más to express the same idea?
Yes, but you would have to conjugate the verb. You would say en cuanto comprobó el pulso. The nada más + infinitive structure is a very natural-sounding shortcut that native speakers use to convey immediate action without needing to conjugate.
How do we know who checked the pulse if comprobar isn't conjugated?
When using an infinitive phrase like this, the person performing the action is assumed to be the subject of the main clause, which is la médica here. If someone else had checked the pulse, you would state that subject right after the infinitive, for example: nada más comprobar el enfermero el pulso.
Is it always la médica for a female doctor, or can I say la médico?
While historically you might have heard la médico, modern Spanish strongly prefers matching the gender of the noun to the person. For a female doctor, la médica is the standard, completely accepted term today.

Learn Nada más comprobar el pulso, la médica pidió la inyección and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Spanish →