Breakdown of La pista del aeropuerto está cerrada hoy.
estar
to be
hoy
today
de
of
cerrado
closed
el aeropuerto
the airport
la pista
the runway
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Questions & Answers about La pista del aeropuerto está cerrada hoy.
Why is la used instead of el before pista?
Spanish nouns have grammatical gender. Pista ends in -a, which is typically feminine, so it takes the feminine definite article la rather than el.
Why do we say del aeropuerto instead of de el aeropuerto?
In Spanish, the preposition de + the masculine singular article el always contracts to del. You never separately say de el.
Why is está used instead of es in this sentence?
Spanish has two verbs for “to be”: ser and estar. You use estar (here está) for temporary states or conditions—like something being closed today—whereas ser (here es) describes inherent or permanent traits.
Why is the adjective cerrada feminine and singular?
Adjectives in Spanish must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify. Since pista is feminine singular, the adjective cerrada also appears in the feminine singular form.
Could hoy be placed elsewhere in the sentence?
Yes. Time expressions like hoy are quite flexible in Spanish. You can say Hoy la pista del aeropuerto está cerrada (placing hoy at the beginning) or La pista del aeropuerto está cerrada hoy (at the end). The meaning remains the same; the position only shifts emphasis slightly.
Does pista always mean “runway”?
No. Pista can also mean a track (as in racing), a clue (in a puzzle), or even a rink (e.g., ice rink). Here, context—aeropuerto—makes it clear we’re talking about an airport runway.
What’s the difference between pista del aeropuerto and pista de aterrizaje?
Pista del aeropuerto literally means “the airport’s runway,” while pista de aterrizaje specifically means “landing runway.” You might also see pista de despegue for take-off runways.
Can you omit the article before aeropuerto and say pista de aeropuerto?
Generally not. When referring to a specific place, Spanish uses the definite article. Pista del aeropuerto clearly points to “the runway of the airport.” Saying pista de aeropuerto sounds generic or incomplete, as if you’re not specifying which airport.