Why al tocar el timbre?

Question

La mujer se metió en el ascensor y subió al décimo piso. Se detuvo delante de la oficina. Al tocar el timbre, oyó una voz.

Why it's AL tocar el timbre? Is it abbreviation of A el tocar?

Good question. - JoyceM, Dec 20, 2011

Answer 1

Al + infinative can be translated as "upon".

Upon touching the bell, he head a voice. - Politically_Correct1, Dec 20, 2011

Answer 2

Al comí una manzana, mi novio entró en la casa.

al + infinitive...so this would not be correct anyway.

You would not say when I ate an apple...but while I was eating an apple...so this does not apply.

Normally we are speaking about the same subject here.

Al no tener dinero, fue andando.

To read more about this structure, please click here.

wow, I actually fixed the link myself, pfffff, vaya hacha estoy hecha, whoooooooooo - 00494d19, Dec 20, 2011

Muchas gracias. Heidita, I am studying past tense now. it´s so difficult. - zhmelissa, Dec 20, 2011

"Vaya hacha estoy hecha": It'd be a thousand wonders if anybody could guess this idiom, especially were it myself. Looks so cool. - 0000000, Dec 20, 2011

Answer 3

Yo estaba comiendo una manzana cuando entró mi novio en la casa. I was eating an apple when my boyfriend came into the house.

Cuando comía una manzana, entró me novio en la casa... While i ate an apple, my boyfriend came into the house.

Answer 4

So, how to say this sentence in spanish? When I ate an apple, my boyfriend entered the house.

Al comí una manzana, mi novio entró en la casa.

Is this correct?

Well, "upon" is the main translation, but "when" also makes sense as a translation. In the context, "upon" and "when" kind of act like a snapshot in time, setting up the very moment you did something. Make sense ? - Politically_Correct1, Dec 20, 2011

"once" could also be a translation. - Politically_Correct1, Dec 20, 2011

So, is my translation above correct or not? - zhmelissa, Dec 20, 2011

Al comer... Cuando comí... - Tosh, Dec 20, 2011

Upon eating... When I ate... - Tosh, Dec 20, 2011

Muchas gracias. - zhmelissa, Dec 20, 2011

I have not seen Al+ conjugated verb too much, which leads me to think it is wrong. You would be better served with the imperfect tense "Comía una manazana". - Politically_Correct1, Dec 20, 2011