B1 Spanish GrammarAdvanced Time Expressions
Master advanced Spanish time expressions: complex desde/hasta constructions, al + infinitive, nada más + infinitive, future time clauses, and idiomatic temporal phrases for natural expression.
1Al + Infinitive
'Al + infinitive' means 'upon -ing' or 'when'. It's more concise than cuando + verb. Very common in written Spanish and formal speech. The subject can follow the infinitive.
Al + Infinitive Structures
| Structure | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| al + infinitive | al llegar | upon arriving |
| al + inf + subject | al entrar yo | when I entered |
| al + inf + object | al ver la noticia | upon seeing the news |
| al no + infinitive | al no saber | not knowing / since I didn't know |
Examples
Al llegar a casa, me acosté.
Upon arriving home, I went to bed.
al + infinitive = when/upon
Al oír la noticia, se echó a llorar.
Upon hearing the news, she started crying.
al + infinitive (cause)
Al no tener dinero, no pude ir.
Not having money, I couldn't go.
al no + infinitive
Al entrar ella, todos se callaron.
When she entered, everyone went quiet.
subject after infinitive
2Nada Más and Enseguida
'Nada más + infinitive' means 'as soon as'. 'Enseguida que' and 'en cuanto' also express immediate sequence. These structures emphasize the immediate connection between events.
Immediate Sequence
| Structure | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| nada más + infinitive | Nada más llegar | As soon as arriving |
| nada más + subjunctive | Nada más llegue | As soon as (future) |
| en cuanto + indicative | En cuanto llegué | As soon as I arrived |
| en cuanto + subjunctive | En cuanto llegue | As soon as (future) |
Examples
Nada más salir, empezó a llover.
As soon as I left, it started raining.
nada más + infinitive (past)
Te llamo en cuanto llegue.
I'll call you as soon as I arrive.
en cuanto + subjunctive (future)
Enseguida que lo vi, lo reconocí.
As soon as I saw him, I recognized him.
enseguida que + indicative
Nada más verla, me enamoré.
The moment I saw her, I fell in love.
nada más + infinitive (instant)
3Complex Duration Expressions
Llevar + gerund expresses ongoing duration. Hace...que and desde hace express 'for (time)'. Tardar en means 'take time to'. These replace simple tenses for nuanced time reference.
Duration Structures
| Structure | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| llevar + time + gerund | have been -ing for | Llevo dos horas esperando |
| llevar + time + sin + inf | haven't ... for | Llevo días sin dormir |
| tardar + time + en + inf | take time to | Tardé una hora en llegar |
| llevar + past participle | have had done | Llevo escritas tres páginas |
Examples
Llevo tres meses estudiando español.
I've been studying Spanish for three months.
llevar + gerund (ongoing)
Llevo una semana sin fumar.
I haven't smoked for a week.
llevar + sin + infinitive
¿Cuánto tardaste en encontrarlo?
How long did it take you to find it?
tardar en + infinitive
Llevo leídos dos capítulos.
I've read two chapters (so far).
llevar + participle (progress)
4Idiomatic Time Expressions
Spanish has many idiomatic time phrases: de vez en cuando, a veces, a menudo, de repente, de pronto, por fin, al final. Master these for natural conversation and writing.
Common Time Idioms
| Spanish | English | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| de vez en cuando | from time to time | occasional |
| a cada rato | all the time, constantly | frequent |
| de repente | suddenly | unexpected change |
| a lo largo de | throughout, over the course of | duration |
| con el tiempo | over time, eventually | gradual change |
| en aquel entonces | back then, at that time | past reference |
Examples
De vez en cuando voy al cine.
From time to time I go to the movies.
occasional frequency
De repente se apagaron las luces.
Suddenly the lights went out.
de repente - sudden
A lo largo de mi vida he aprendido mucho.
Throughout my life I've learned a lot.
a lo largo de - duration
Con el tiempo lo entenderás.
In time you'll understand.
con el tiempo - gradual