A short phrase can locate one event at the time of another.

The idea

Use al followed by an infinitive to say when an action occurs: al entrar means on entering. The events can coincide or follow immediately.

Examples

  • Al entrar, veo un gato.On entering, I see a cat.
  • Al salir, cerramos la puerta.As we leave, we close the door.
  • Al llegar, Pablo llama a su hermana.On arrival, Pablo calls his sister.
  • Al abrir la caja, encontramos una carta.On opening the box, we find a letter.
  • Al escuchar música, mi abuelo sonríe.When listening to music, my grandfather smiles.
  • Al ver el mar, los niños aplauden.On seeing the sea, the children applaud.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Spanish voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

Do not confuse this time expression with antes de, which places an action before another.

Try it yourself

  1. Fill the gap to express when the action happens: ___ llegar al museo, compramos entradas. (Al / Por)

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    Al

    Al: buying tickets happens on arrival at the museum.

  2. Fill the gap to express when the action happens: ___ encender la luz, veo el mapa. (Al / Por)

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    Al

    Al: the speaker sees the map when the light is switched on.

  3. Fill the gap to express when the action happens: ___ terminar la clase, ella guarda sus libros. (Al / Por)

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    Al

    Al: putting the books away follows the end of class.

Use it today

Complete each sentence with the time expression.