The articles in Spanish
"La incubación .. toma unos 28 días"
What is the role of "unos" in this sentence:
Is it just the article and doesn't add any information?
Without it, would the sentence be incorrect? get another meaning?
I ask because for me, as a non native speaker, it sounds as "The incubation .. takes /around/more or less/about/ 28 days".

Question

Answer

All the below ways mean "around/about 28 days" 
...toma unos 28 días 
...toma aproximadamente unos 28 días
...toma 28 días, más o menos. 
...toma unos 28 días más o menos. 
...toma más o menos 28 días. 
...toma cerca de 28 días
...toma alrededor de 28 días.

Answer

Hola geri ! 
In that context "unos" means approximately /around . 
Without "unos" it would mean that the incubation takes exactly 28 days   
:)

Ana

Answer

Dear Geri,

"La incubación .. toma unos 28 días"
1) What is the role of "unos" in this sentence. Is it just the article and doesn't add any information?

This would be the equivalent to around/more or less/about. Therefore, it does add information.

2) Without it, would the sentence be incorrect? get another meaning?

Without it, the sentence would be correct, but it would have another meaning.

"La incubación .. toma 28 días" would mean the you are stating that it will take 28 days.

3) You could play around:
   for example:  "La incubación .. toma LOS 28 días",

It would be used for example if you asked if the incubation could be completed in 14 days and you get an answer confirming that no, you must wait for the whole 28 days.  So the dialog would be like:

- ¿Puedo obtener los resultados en 14 días?

- No, lo lamento, la incubación .. toma LOS 28 días.

(o, menos amable: 
- No, ya le dije,  la incubación .. toma LOS 28 días.  )

Saludos,

Antonio

Answers · 5

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