Breakdown of Él dejó de sentir aquel escalofrío y el temblor desapareció.
él
he / him (after a preposition)
y
and
aquel
that over there (m.sg., also aquella, aquellos, aquellas, aquello)
dejar de
to stop (+ infinitive)
sentir
to feel (something); to be sorry
desaparecer
to disappear
el escalofrío
the shiver / the chill
el temblor
the tremor / the trembling
Questions & Answers about Él dejó de sentir aquel escalofrío y el temblor desapareció.
Why is de used between dejó and sentir?
The phrase dejar de followed by an infinitive is a specific structure that means 'to stop doing something'. Without the preposition de, the verb dejar simply means 'to leave' or 'to let'.
Why does the sentence use aquel instead of ese for 'that shiver'?
Both dejó and desapareció are in the preterite tense. Could the imperfect be used here instead?
Not without changing the meaning. The preterite is used here because stopping and disappearing are framed as completed, sudden events that move the story forward. If you used the imperfect (dejaba, desaparecía), it would sound like he was in the process of stopping, or the trembling was gradually fading away in the background.
What is the difference between an escalofrío and a temblor?
An escalofrío is specifically a 'shiver' or 'chill', usually caused by cold, fear, or a sudden emotion. A temblor is a broader term for 'trembling' or 'shaking', which can apply to the body, a voice, or even the ground.
Learn Él dejó de sentir aquel escalofrío y el temblor desapareció 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