Breakdown of Camina recto hasta la siguiente intersección y gira a la izquierda frente al garaje azul.
y
and
a
to
Camina
Walk
azul
blue
recto
straight
hasta
to
siguiente
next
la intersección
the intersection
gira
Turn
la izquierda
the left
frente al
in front of
el garaje
the garage
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Questions & Answers about Camina recto hasta la siguiente intersección y gira a la izquierda frente al garaje azul.
What is the form and use of Camina in this sentence?
Camina is the tú-imperative (informal command) of the verb caminar (to walk). In Spanish, you drop the subject pronoun (tú) and use the special imperative form to tell someone directly what to do. If you wanted to be more formal (using usted), you’d say camine instead.
What does recto mean here, and why not derecho?
Recto means “straight ahead.” In many parts of Latin America, both recto and derecho are used for “straight,” but:
- Recto is a bit more formal or standard in directional phrases.
- Derecho is very common in everyday speech (especially Mexico).
Either works, but the textbook or sign-style recommendation often uses recto.
What function does hasta serve in this sentence?
Hasta means “up to” or “until.” It marks the endpoint of your walk. So camina recto hasta la siguiente intersección literally means “walk straight until you reach the next intersection.”
Why is it la siguiente intersección instead of la próxima intersección or el siguiente cruce?
- Siguiente and próximo are near-synonyms meaning “next.” Siguiente is slightly more neutral in many regions.
- Intersección (intersection) refers specifically to the crossing of two streets. Cruce can mean any crossing (including pedestrian crosswalk). Both are correct, but intersección is more precise for roads.
Why does the sentence say gira a la izquierda? What’s the role of a, and could you use dobla?
- Gira is the tú-imperative of girar (to turn).
- The preposition a introduces the direction: a la izquierda = “to the left.”
- You could also say Dobla a la izquierda, using doblar (to turn) instead of girar; dobla is equally common and a little more informal.
What does frente al garaje azul mean, and why is it al?
- Frente a means “in front of.”
- Frente al is the contraction of a + el (since garaje is masculine singular).
So gira a la izquierda frente al garaje azul = “turn left in front of the blue garage.”
Why doesn’t azul change form to match garaje?
Color adjectives that end in a consonant (like azul) are invariable in gender; they only add -es for the plural (e.g., garajes azules).
Why is the adjective siguiente placed before intersección?
Some adjectives—like ordinal (primero, segundo) and certain indefinite adjectives (siguiente, mismo)—typically come before the noun. Putting siguiente first is the standard word order: la siguiente intersección. If you reversed it (intersección siguiente), it would sound unusual.
How would you change this instruction to the formal usted form?
Simply switch to the usted-imperative forms:
Camine recto hasta la siguiente intersección y gire a la izquierda frente al garaje azul.