unos segundos v. los segundos

J. P.C1Kwiziq community member

unos segundos v. los segundos

Is the following correct:

Estamos a los segundos de las campanadas de fin de año.
We are just a few seconds after  the bells of the end of the year.

Estamos a unos segundos de las campanadas de fin de año.
We are just a few seconds before  the bells of the end of the year.
Asked 1 year ago
InmaKwiziq team member

Hola Janusz

You can use a sentence with "a los [time] de.... " to express a posterior action but it doesn't quite work with "segundos" unless you are a bit more specific:

A los pocos segundos de sonar las campanadas, llamé a mis padres para desearles un feliz año nuevo.

Just a few seconds after the bells rang, I called my parents to wish them a happy new year.

Here's a lesson about that structure. 

 

But it doesn't work with the verb estar in front:

Estamos a los pocos segundos de... (?????)

Saludos

 

J. P.C1Kwiziq community member

Hola Inma,

So, is it safe to think:

A los pocos segundos de sonar => after

A unos segundos de sonar => before

A los dos minutos de empezar => after

A dos minutos de empezar => before.

Also, could you please confirm that

"Estamos a los pocos segundos de..." is wrong,

but

"Estamos a unos segundos de..." is correct.

What would be the reason for this?

InmaKwiziq team member

Hola Janusz

Yes, all correct.

Also:

"Estamos a unos / a unos pocos / a pocos segundos de..." is correct.

(the action after "de..." will happen in a few seconds)

But:

"Estamos a los pocos segundos de..." sounds odd and incorrect.

I'm not quite sure why this sounds so odd - it's probably that it doesn't work with "estar".

Saludos

J. P.C1Kwiziq community member

Thank you very much Inma.

J. P. asked:View original

unos segundos v. los segundos

Is the following correct:

Estamos a los segundos de las campanadas de fin de año.
We are just a few seconds after  the bells of the end of the year.

Estamos a unos segundos de las campanadas de fin de año.
We are just a few seconds before  the bells of the end of the year.

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