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Cruzamos la calle para llegar a la urna cerca de la estación.

Cruzamos la calle para llegar a la urna cerca de la estación.
We cross the street to get to the ballot box near the station.
FromLesson 23inHardcore Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Cruzamos la calle para llegar a la urna cerca de la estación.

What does cruzamos mean here and how do we know if it’s present tense or past tense?

Cruzamos is the nosotros form of cruzar.

  • As present indicative it means “we cross.”
  • As preterite it means “we crossed.”
    Because both look identical, context tells you which one it is. In giving directions, Spanish usually uses the present (“we cross the street, then…”). If it were a past event, you’d often have a time marker (e.g., ayer).
Why isn’t there a preposition before la calle in cruzamos la calle?
Verbs like cruzar are transitive in Spanish, so they take a direct object without a preposition. You say cruzar la calle just as in English we say “cross the street,” without inserting a or de.
Why do we use para llegar a and what does it express?
Para introduces purpose (“in order to”). Here para llegar a means “in order to reach/arrive at.” So cruzamos la calle para llegar a la urna literally is “we cross the street in order to get to the ballot box.”
Why is there an a after llegar?
Certain Spanish verbs require a before a noun or pronoun when indicating direction or goal. Llegar a means “to arrive at” or “to get to.” It’s part of the verb’s required structure: llegar + a + place.
What is a urna in Latin American Spanish?
A urna usually refers to a “ballot box” used during elections. It can also mean an “urn” for ashes, but in this voting context it’s the container where ballots are dropped.
Why do we say cerca de la estación instead of cerca la estación?
When cerca is used to mean “near,” it must be followed by de plus the noun: cerca de + place. So cerca de la estación = “near the station.”
Could we use junto a or al lado de instead of cerca de?

Yes. All three express proximity, with slight nuance:

  • cerca de la estación – generally nearby
  • junto a la estación – immediately next to
  • al lado de la estación – beside, right alongside
Why is there a definite article la before estación?
Spanish normally uses definite articles (el, la) before singular, specific nouns. Since we’re referring to a particular station, we say la estación rather than dropping the article.
How would you phrase the same idea in the imperative (“cross the street to get to the ballot box near the station”)?

For tú:
Cruza la calle para llegar a la urna cerca de la estación.

For usted:
Cruce la calle para llegar a la urna cerca de la estación.

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Spanish verbs change form based on the subject, tense, and mood. Regular verbs follow predictable patterns depending on whether they end in ‑ar, ‑er, or ‑ir. For example, "hablar" (to speak) becomes "hablo" (I speak), "hablas" (you speak), and "habla" (he/she speaks) in the present tense.

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