Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): De repente, la fila avanza y corremos a la taquilla. - Suddenly, the line moves forward and we run to the ticket booth.

de pronto (widely used)
de golpe (common in the Río de la Plata area: Argentina, Uruguay)
repentinamente (more formal/literary)
de súbito (formal) All mean “suddenly,” but register and regional flavor vary.

Why is there a comma after De repente?

It’s a standard comma after a fronted adverbial phrase. Spanish often sets off introductory time/manner expressions like De repente, A veces, En ese momento, etc., with a comma.

Why are avanza and corremos in the present tense? Would the past be better?

The sentence uses the “narrative (historical) present” for vividness, which is common in storytelling. In a past narrative, the preterite is also perfect: De repente, la fila avanzó y corrimos a la taquilla. Both are correct; choose based on narrative style.

Why is it avanza (singular) and not avanzan?

Because the subject is la fila (the line), a singular collective noun. Even though a line has many people, Spanish agrees the verb with the grammatical subject: la fila avanza. Compare: la gente aplaude (not aplauden).

Could I say la fila se mueve instead of la fila avanza?

You can, but the nuance differs. avanzar means “to move forward/progress,” which is exactly what lines do. moverse is more general “to move” and doesn’t necessarily imply forward motion.

Why a la taquilla and not hacia or hasta?

a marks a destination (“to the ticket booth”), implying arrival.
hacia means “toward,” with no guarantee of arriving.
hasta focuses on the end point (“up to/as far as the ticket booth”). Here, a is the most neutral and common.

Do we need the article in a la taquilla? Why not just a taquilla?

Spanish generally requires an article with singular countable nouns. a la taquilla refers to the specific ticket booth in context. a una taquilla would be “to a (some) ticket booth.” a taquilla is ungrammatical.

Is taquilla the same everywhere? What other words can I use?

Meaning is consistent, but regional terms vary:

Mexico, Colombia, much of Central America: taquilla; also ventanilla (window/counter).
Argentina, Uruguay, Chile: boletería is very common. All refer to where you buy tickets.

How do you pronounce taquilla?

Approximate: “ta-KEE-ya.” Details:

qu before i = /k/.
ll is usually the same as y (yeísmo): /ʝ/ (“y” sound). In some areas (e.g., parts of Argentina/Uruguay), it can sound like “zh/sh.”

What’s the difference between fila and cola for “line”?

Both mean a waiting line. fila is broadly understood across Latin America. cola is also common, but note it also means “tail” and colloquially “butt” in some places, which can cause giggles. Verbs: hacer fila/cola, ponerse en la fila.

Why not use línea for “line” of people?

línea is a drawn/written line, a product line, a transit line, etc. For a queue of people, use fila or cola.

Why is there no nosotros before corremos?

Spanish normally drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows person/number. corremos already signals “we.” Add nosotros only for emphasis or contrast.

Can I invert the order and say De repente, avanza la fila?

Yes. Both la fila avanza and avanza la fila are correct. Neutral order is Subject–Verb (la fila avanza). Verb–Subject (avanza la fila) can sound a bit more narrative or emphatic.

Could I use the progressive, like está avanzando or estamos corriendo?

You can, but style matters. With de repente, Spanish often prefers a simple present/preterite or a “start” verb:

De repente, la fila avanza/avanzó.
De repente, la fila empezó a avanzar.
…y echamos a correr / salimos corriendo. Progressive can work but may weaken the suddenness.

Does de repente ever mean “maybe/perhaps”?

Yes, in some regions (notably Peru, parts of Bolivia, Paraguay, and the Río de la Plata area), de repente can mean “maybe.” In most of Latin America and in this sentence, it means “suddenly.” Context disambiguates.

Is there a way to stress the sudden start of running?

Yes. Common options:

nos echamos a correr (we suddenly started to run)
salimos corriendo (we rushed out running)
arrancamos a correr (regional; “we started running”) Each adds a stronger “burst into running” feel.

What tickets are sold at a taquilla? Are words for “ticket” the same everywhere?

Vocabulary varies:

Events: entrada (widespread), boleto (Mexico), tiquete (Colombia/Central America).
Transport: boleto (Mexico), pasaje (Southern Cone), tiquete (Colombia/Central America). The taquilla/boletería sells these, depending on the venue and region.

Why is it y corremos and not e corremos?

Spanish switches y to e only before words that start with an “i/hi” sound (e.g., padres e hijos). Since corremos starts with a “k” sound, you keep y.

Is repente ever used alone, without de?

No. de repente is a fixed expression. repente by itself isn’t used to mean “suddenly.”