estar a piques de
About to: Estar a Piques De
Estar a piques de + infinitive means to be about to do something, as in Está a piques de chover (It is about to rain) and Estaba a piques de saír (I was about to go out).
How It Works
Tenses:
• está a piques de: about to happen now
• estaba a piques de: was about to (often interrupted): Estaba a piques de saír cando chamaches
• estiven a piques de: nearly happened: Estiven a piques de perder o tren (I nearly missed the train)
Without estar: a piques de can describe a noun directly: unha casa vella a piques de caer (an old house about to fall down).
Piques, with s: the expression is a piques de. A pique, without s, means "straight down", and ir a pique means "to sink": O barco foi a pique (The boat sank).
Same meaning: a punto de is also standard: Está a punto de chover. Estar para + infinitive can also mean "about to": A reunión xa está para rematar (The meeting is about to end).
A look-alike: with verbs of arriving, estar a + infinitive can also mean "about to": O tren está a chegar (The train is arriving now, or about to). Normally, though, estar a + infinitive means an action in progress.
Examples (6)
- Está a piques de chover.
It is about to rain.
Word by Word: Is at points of rain.
- Estaba a piques de saír cando chamaches.
I was about to go out when you called.
Word by Word: Was-I at points of go-out when called-you.
The imperfect estaba sets up an action that was interrupted.
- Estiven a piques de caer.
I almost fell.
Word by Word: Was-I at points of fall.
With the preterite, the action nearly happened but did not.
- O concerto está a piques de comezar.
The concert is about to start.
Word by Word: The concert is at points of begin.
- Hai unha casa vella a piques de caer.
There is an old house about to fall down.
Word by Word: There-is a house old at points of fall.
A piques de can follow a noun without estar.
- Bule, que o tren está a piques de saír!
Hurry, the train is about to leave!
Word by Word: Hurry, that the train is at points of leave!
Common Mistakes
Leaving out de.
Está a piques chover.Está a piques de chover.The full expression is a piques de, followed by the infinitive.
Dropping the s of piques.
Estaba a pique de caer.Estaba a piques de caer.A pique means "straight down", and ir a pique means "to sink". The expression for "about to" is a piques de.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Estar a piques de places an event at the point of happening.
Related Patterns
- estar a + InfinitiveAction in Progress: Estar a + Infinitive
Usually an action in progress, but with verbs of arriving it can also mean "about to".
Level 2 - ir + InfinitiveGoing to: Ir + Infinitive
Talks about a planned or coming action, less immediate than a piques de.
Level 2 - acabar de + InfinitiveJust Done: Acabar De
The other end of the timeline: something that has just happened.
Level 2 - comezar a / poñerse aStarting Actions
The moment an action actually starts.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice estar a piques de in Bubblegum
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