Al darse de cuenta esto
Al darse de cuenta esto, ...
I came across this phrase while reading (or trying to read) a short story, and after searching around for a bit I figured out that it means 'Upon realizing this, ...' . The entries for 'realize' and 'upon' led me to this conclusion. I am still confused as to how this phrase came to be, and why al is used to signify 'upon'. Can anyone shine a little light on this for me, or give me a few tips that might help me remember this odd construction? Thanks for your help.
2 Answers
Al darse de cuenta esto This is commonly: 'Darse cuenta de...' - to realize, to be aware of, to take into account. So I am thinking that you need 'de esto' Upon becoming aware O F this' and also the 'de' in your statement should be placed after 'cuenta'....
Al + inifinitive just means "on doing something" or "upon doing something". Literally it's "at the doing of something". Again, I don't think there's a specific reason. That's just the way it's said.
