Spanish language learning forums - Sin poder dar con la salida

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Sin poder dar con la salida - A little help?

In the book I'm reading it says a few things I can't quite figure out. So, can you help? The parts I have trouble with are in red

1. Corría y corría por toda la huerta, sin poder dar con la salida.

2. Pues se fue a la huerta de Don Pasqual, Y se metió en ella por debajo del cerco.

Thank you

MC

Sure no problem. Here's how I might translate this:

Corría y corría por toda la huerta, sin poder dar con la salida.
He/She ran around and around the garden trying to find a way out.

Pues se fue a la huerta de Don Pasqual, Y se metio en ella por debajo del cerco.
He/She went to Don Pasqual's garden, and and squeezed/sneaked under the fence to get in.

Now for some literal translating to help you understand the words and structure.

Code:

sin       poder        dar con   la salida

without   being able   to find   the exit



y         se metio   en     ella   por debajo    del cerco

and   he  went       into   it     under         the fence/enclosure/wall

Note on dar con. Dar con is actually an idiom that literally uses the words to give with, but it means to find or to run into.

Of course others will be able to give you other alternate translations. :)

Thank you very much. I could not find metió in my dictionary and dar con made absolutely no sense at all.

You're very welcome. Metió is from meter. And you're right about dar con. By definition, idioms don't make sense even if you know all the component words and take them at face value.