Breakdown of El año pasado, el solar se convirtió en un parque.
un
a, an, some
el parque
the park
el año
the year
pasado
past
Questions & Answers about El año pasado, el solar se convirtió en un parque.
Why do we use se convirtió en here instead of another verb of change like se volvió?
We use convertirse en for radical, fundamental transformations where one thing becomes a completely different noun—in this case, an empty lot becoming a park. Volverse is typically used with adjectives to describe a lasting change in quality or personality, not for one physical object transforming into another noun.
Is convirtió an irregular spelling? Shouldn't it be convertió?
It is not a random exception, but it follows a specific pattern you have likely seen before: -ir verbs that have a stem change in the present tense (like yo me convierto) also have a smaller stem change in the third-person forms of the preterite. The e changes to i, making it se convirtió (and se convirtieron in the plural).
Do I always have to use the preposition en after convertirse?
Yes, when you are stating what the subject turned into, convertirse (and its close synonym transformarse) must always be followed by the preposition en. You cannot skip it; saying se convirtió un parque would be grammatically incorrect in Spanish.
I thought solar had to do with the sun. Why does it mean 'empty plot' here?