Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Damos un paseo por el parque al atardecer.

The verb dar literally means “to give,” but Spanish uses the idiomatic expression dar un paseo to mean “to take/go for a walk.” So damos (first‐person plural present of dar) is best translated as “we go for” or “we take” in this context, not “we give.”

Why is the expression dar un paseo used instead of tomar un paseo or hacer un paseo?

In Spanish, dar un paseo is the standard idiom for “to go for a walk” or “to take a stroll.” You will hear tomar with drinks or classes (e.g. tomar un café, tomar un curso), but not with paseo. Using tomar un paseo or hacer un paseo sounds unnatural to native speakers.

Why do we use por in por el parque rather than en or a?

por indicates movement along or through a place (the route).
en would simply locate you inside the park (estamos en el parque) without implying a stroll.
a would indicate destination (“to the park”) but not the idea of walking around it.
Therefore, pasear por el parque means “to stroll through/around the park.”

Shouldn’t “por el” contract somehow in pronunciation or writing, like porél?

No, Spanish only contracts a + el into al and de + el into del. Por + el remains por el in writing and speech. You might hear the two words link smoothly when spoken, but they’re still separate words.

What exactly does al atardecer mean? Is it a specific time?

Al atardecer means “at dusk” or “at sunset.” Here’s why:

atardecer is a noun meaning “dusk/sunset.”
al is the contraction of a
- el (“at the”).
  So al atardecer = “at the time of sunset,” a more precise time than por la tarde, which covers the entire afternoon.

Why can’t we say a el atardecer instead of al atardecer?

In Spanish, the preposition a plus the definite article el always contracts to al. Saying a el atardecer is grammatically incorrect.

Is atardecer here acting as a noun or a verb? It looks like an infinitive.

In al atardecer, atardecer functions as a noun meaning “dusk” or “sunset.” Although it’s identical in form to the infinitive of the verb atardecer (“to get dark”), in this fixed expression it’s a noun.

Could I say al anochecer instead of al atardecer? Do they mean the same?

You can say al anochecer, but it refers to “nightfall,” a bit later than al atardecer, which is the moment the sun sets and twilight begins. Both are valid if you want to specify slightly different times in the evening.

Could I use the reflexive verb pasearse and say nos paseamos por el parque al atardecer?

Yes. Pasearse is a reflexive verb meaning “to stroll.”

Nos paseamos por el parque al atardecer also means “we stroll through the park at dusk.”
However, dar un paseo tends to be more common and idiomatic for “going for a walk.”

Why is paseo masculine, and why is it un paseo instead of una paseo?

Spanish nouns ending in -o are typically masculine, so paseo is masculine and takes el as its definite article and un as its indefinite article. That’s why it’s un paseo.