Similar Adverbs: Atrás and Detrás
Friday June 27, 2008
Atrás and detrás can be easily confused: Similar in sound, both conveying the idea of "behind," the adverbs are sometimes (especially in Latin America) interchangeable. But they also have distinct uses.
Comments
Gerald,
your figurative sense of detras de, as in Condeno a los politicos detras de las protestas,” the adverbial form “detras” would not be used in that form to denote cause positive of the figurative results (las protestas). Instead, “detras” in this example would best be substituted by “…politicos quienes fueron causas de las protestas…” Periodisticamente hablando, that would be the proper expression of the thought and an improper use of the adverbial form. Sorry.
The other homonimo, sound-alike in the group is “tras.” As in, “Antes de llegar al altar, la novia perdio la cabeza y tercamente dijo que no se casaba con ese bandido, Luis Cueto. Luisito, alentado por la abuela, volo tras su amada, quien en aquellos momentos ya alcanzaba el porton de la iglesia.”
owned!!! hahaha