Breakdown of El fontanero me ha dado un presupuesto muy caro.
un
a, an, some
muy
very
me
to me / myself (reflexive) / me (direct object)
caro
expensive
dar
to give
haber
to have (auxiliary)
el fontanero
the plumber
el presupuesto
the quote, the estimate (for a job)
Questions & Answers about El fontanero me ha dado un presupuesto muy caro.
I thought presupuesto meant "budget". Can it also mean "quote"?
Yes! While presupuesto is commonly used for "budget" (the amount of money you have to spend), in the context of hiring a professional like a plumber or a builder, it translates to "quote" or "estimate" (the document showing how much they will charge you).
Why does it say the quote is caro (expensive)? Wouldn't the quote itself be free?
Why use the present perfect (ha dado) here instead of the simple past (dio)?
In Spain, the present perfect (ha dado) is strongly preferred for actions that happened recently or in a time period that still feels connected to the present (like "today" or "this morning"). If you had received the quote last week, you would use the simple past: El fontanero me dio un presupuesto.
Is fontanero the only word for plumber?
In Spain, fontanero is the standard word for a plumber. You might recognize the root word fuente (fountain or spring) in it! In some Latin American countries, you might hear plomero instead, which comes from the word for lead (plomo), just like the English word.
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