When the sun was beginning to rise.

Question

I'm having a little trouble with this. Cuando el sol comenzaba a subir o cuando el sol comenzaba a amanecer...¿Algo así?

Answer 1

Remember that could is the past and the conditional form of can. In this case you're talking about the past so you should use podíamos. I think that in this case pudimos and podíamos would work. Venía desde el oceáno might sound a tad better?

I like it. Thanks! - pescador1, Nov 26, 2010

Answer 2

Well, the sun can't amanecer. Amanecer is when the sun begins to come out, dawn. You could say cuando apenas amanecía or cuando el sol empezaba a salir. I personally like the first one better.

Answer 3

Im trying to say when we got out of the car the sun was beginning to rise in the east, and we could see that a huge storm was coming in from the ocean. This is what I have: Cuando bajamos del coche el sol comenzaba a subir en el este y podríamos ver que una tormenta enorme venía del océano. Im not sure about the last part either. Does venía del océano sound right for coming in from the ocean?

venía del océano, del lado del oceáno both are right. - mediterrunio, Nov 26, 2010

Answer 4

cuando el sol empezaba a salir.

cuando comenzaba a amanecer

cuando el sol se asomaba

cuando comenzaba a clarear el día

cuando se insinuaba el suave resplandor del amanecer

cuando Febo asomaba su rubia cabellera en el horizonte

Answer 5

"Cuando el sol comenzaba a subir" Seems to be right to me

I am not so sure about "cuando el sol comenzaba a amanecer"

What are you trying to say here: When the sun begin to set - cuando el sol comenzaba a ponerse.