Please Correct Specific Parts Of My Sentence

[Bobbert]

I already said the following to someone and I am now questioning specific parts of how I said it.

I said:

Se le clavó una esquirla grande de vidrio en el pie de andar descalzo en la playa.

He got a large shard of glass in his foot from walking barefoot on the beach.

I’m now specifically questioning whether I should have said:

vidrio or cristal - glass

de andar descalzo or por andar descalzo - from walking barefoot

en la playa or por la playa - on the beach

Any input is appreciated.

[Rusty]

vidrio or cristal - glassIt depends on the speaker's perspective or preference (the source of the glass may influence word choice).

de andar descalzo or por andar descalzo - from walking barefoot«por andar descalzo, al caminar descalzo o mientras caminaba descalzo»
(Using 'por' indicates 'cause'. The other two point more at the action.)

en la playa or por la playa - on the beach«por la playa»

Se le clavó un trozo grande de cristal en el pie mientras caminaba descalzo por la playa.
-or-
Mientras caminaba descalzo por la playa, se le clavó un trozo grande de cristal en el pie.

You could use 'vidrio' if the source of the glass was a broken window. Think lead crystal, which would be more shiny or brilliant, for the other meaning (again, it depends on the speaker's point of view).

I would understand 'trozo' to be a piece of glass (or many other things), but let a native speak to my usage here.

[aleCcowaN]

Se le incrustó un gran pedazo de vidrio en el pie por andar descalzo en la playa

Clavar requiere que el objeto sea agudo, como en "se le clavó una astilla de vidrio en el pie ....". Incrustar refiere a una acción violenta donde un objeto de forma inespecífica queda incorporado a otro, como en "el conductor perdió el control y el automóvil se incrustó en un restaurante"

Cristal se usa para nombrar vidrios de especialidad, como el cristal de Bohemia, o para piezas de vidrio especializadas y generalmente de gran calidad, como los cristales de las lentes/anteojos. Vidrio es el término para el material en general. En el contexto de la pregunta suena a "a un cheto/fresa se le incrustó un gran trozo de cristal en el pie" (un pedazo grande de vidrio sería un quemo/un oso"

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

If you want to sound Mexican: "Se le enterró un vidrio cuando andaba descalzo en la playa." (This is impressive enough, so we might not mention the size.) ;)


In colloquial speech, "un vidriote". :D

[Bobbert]

Thank you, Rusty, aleCcowaN, and AngelicaDeAlquezar.

I don’t know where I learned the word “esquirla,” but I noticed that none of you chose it. Is it not a word you would ever use to refer to a broken piece of glass, pottery, a glass cup, etc.? Is it a high register word and not common?

[Rusty]

'Esquirla' is in the dictionary I use, but I was unfamiliar with the word, so chose another.

[poli]

In would have guessed astilla de vidrio. Would that make sense?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I have only heard "esquirla" for the pieces of a fragmentation hand grenade. :D

As for "astilla", to me that's only used for tiny pieces, the kind you can remove from your skin with tweezers. :)

[Bobbert]

Thank you again everyone.

[aleCcowaN]

Yes, esquirla is any fragment that breaks as a consecuence of an explosion and en up piercing someone or something. In the case of the besch shard, It was already broken an It was the feet what did contact it.

Esquirla is not high register but it's rather used in the context of wars or accidents. It's more akin to shrapnel (metralla) than shard.

[poli]

Can you say en esquirlas to mean in smithereens?

[Bobbert]

Thank you for the further explanation of how “esquirla” is used, aleCcowaN.

[aleCcowaN]

Can you say en esquirlas to mean in smithereens?

I never heard it used that way. "In smithereens" is "hecho añicos" or "hecho trizas". Esquirla is a chip or fragment that detaches from a main body, generally by a violent action. It seems to be a matter of colocations and localization. I'm used to hear, as it was said before, "fue alcanzado por las esquirlas de una granada de fragmentación", but though the part that comes off from a tooth or bone is also a esquirla, I'm used to hear "se le partió un diente (perdió un trocito de diente)" and "se le astilló un hueso (se le desprendió una astilla de un hueso)".

Thank you for the further explanation of how “esquirla” is used, aleCcowaN.

You're quite welcome