Breakdown of Camino hacia la escuela con mi perro.
yo
I
con
with
mi
my
la escuela
the school
caminar
to walk
el perro
the dog
hacia
toward
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Questions & Answers about Camino hacia la escuela con mi perro.
What does camino mean here – is it a noun or a verb?
In this sentence camino is the first-person singular present indicative of the verb caminar, so it means “I walk.” Although camino can also be a noun (“path” or “road”), context and the capital C at the beginning tell you it’s a verb here.
Why is hacia used instead of a la escuela?
Hacia means “towards” and focuses on the direction of your walking. A usually means “to” with an implied arrival. If you say camino a la escuela, you’re saying you walk and reach the school; camino hacia la escuela stresses you’re heading in that direction (maybe you don’t end up there).
Can I say camino a la escuela con mi perro instead?
Yes, that’s grammatically correct. You’d simply be saying “I walk to school with my dog,” implying you get there. It’s a bit more direct. Hacia vs. a is your choice depending on whether you want to emphasize direction or arrival.
Why do we use la before escuela?
In Spanish, unlike English, we generally include the definite article before singular, general nouns: la escuela (“the school”). You wouldn’t drop la unless you’re speaking in a very informal or poetic style.
Why is it con mi perro rather than y mi perro?
Con means “with,” indicating accompaniment. If you said camino y mi perro, that sounds like two separate statements: “I walk and my dog (walks, or something else).” Con mi perro clearly states that your dog is accompanying you.
Could I change the word order to Con mi perro camino hacia la escuela?
Yes, you can. Spanish allows some flexibility: Con mi perro camino hacia la escuela is still correct and understandable. However, the more neutral, common order is Camino hacia la escuela con mi perro.
How do I pronounce hacia in Latin America?
In most of Latin America, hacia is pronounced ah-SYAH (the c before i has an “s” sound). So it’s /ˈa.sja/.
Why don’t we use a gerund like camino → voy caminando?
You can say voy caminando hacia la escuela con mi perro (“I’m walking to school with my dog”) if you want to use ir + gerund. But camino is a simpler way to say “I walk” or “I’m walking.” Both are correct; it’s just a stylistic choice.