Breakdown of El semáforo pita cuando los peatones pueden cruzar la calle.
la calle
the street
cuando
when
poder
to be able
el peatón
the pedestrian
cruzar
to cross
el semáforo
the traffic light
pitar
to beep
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Questions & Answers about El semáforo pita cuando los peatones pueden cruzar la calle.
What does pitar mean in this context?
pitar means “to beep” or “to make a beeping sound.” It refers to the audible signal that the pedestrian light emits when it’s safe to cross. In other contexts, pitar can also mean “to honk” (as in a car horn) or “to whistle.”
Why is pita in the present indicative rather than another tense?
The present indicative (pita) is used because the sentence describes a habitual or general fact: whenever pedestrians can cross the street, the light beeps. Spanish (like English) uses the simple present for repeated or timeless truths.
Why do we use the indicative with cuando here, not the subjunctive?
After cuando:
- Use the indicative for habitual or already established actions.
- Use the subjunctive for future or uncertain events that haven’t occurred yet.
Since the beeping always happens at the right moment (a regular event), we stick with the indicative.
Why is the definite article los used before peatones? Can we omit it?
In Spanish, plural countable nouns generally require a definite article when speaking about them in a general sense. Here, los peatones means “pedestrians” as a group. Dropping los (peatones pueden cruzar) would sound unnatural and ungrammatical.
Why do we say pueden cruzar (poder + infinitive)? Could we use another structure?
Poder is a modal verb that needs an infinitive to complete its meaning. pueden (they can) + cruzar (to cross) literally means “they are able to cross.” You can’t say pueden que crucen or omit the infinitive. Alternatives like es posible que crucen change the structure (and require the subjunctive).
Can we switch the order of the clauses? How does that affect emphasis?
Yes. You could say:
Cuando los peatones pueden cruzar la calle, el semáforo pita.
Both orders are correct. Starting with cuando emphasizes the timing; starting with el semáforo emphasizes the subject (the light).
Why is cruzar la calle the common way to say “to cross the street”? Are there alternatives?
Cruzar is the standard verb for “to cross” something (a street, a river, etc.). You might see:
• atravesar – more formal or literary (“to traverse”)
• pasar – more like “to go by” or “to pass”
But for everyday conversation, cruzar la calle is the most natural choice.