Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): En la tarde trapeo la sala y vuelvo a guardar la escoba. - In the afternoon I mop the living room and put the broom away again.

bold barrer bold = to sweep (with a broom)
bold fregar (el piso/suelo) bold = to scrub/mop (more common in Spain)
Nouns for the tool: bold el trapeador bold (LA), bold la fregona bold (Spain), bold la mopa bold (Spain).

Why bold en la tarde bold and not bold por la tarde bold?

Both occur in Latin America, but bold por la tarde bold is the most widely accepted/neutral way to say “in the afternoon.” bold En la tarde bold is common in some areas (e.g., parts of Mexico, Central America, Colombia). In the Río de la Plata (Argentina/Uruguay), you’ll also hear bold a la tarde bold.

Do I need a comma after bold En la tarde bold?

Optional. You can write: bold En la tarde, trapeo la sala… bold or bold En la tarde trapeo la sala… bold A comma after a fronted time phrase is a stylistic choice.

What does bold volver a + infinitive bold express here?

It means “to do (something) again.” So bold vuelvo a guardar bold = “I put away again.” Alternatives for “again”:

bold …guardo la escoba otra vez bold
bold …guardo la escoba de nuevo bold Use bold volver a bold when you want a neat “again” construction with a verb.

Where can I place the object pronoun with bold volver a guardar bold?

Three correct options:

bold La vuelvo a guardar. bold
bold Vuelvo a guardarla. bold
bold Vuelvo a volverla… bold (Not applicable here; just note that with other verbs, pronouns can also go between bold volver bold and bold a bold: bold Vuelvo a verla bold / bold La vuelvo a ver bold / bold Vuelvo a verla bold. Many prefer not to split bold volver a bold stylistically, but it’s common and acceptable.)

Is the preposition bold a bold required after bold volver bold?

Yes. The pattern is bold volver a + infinitive bold. Without bold a bold (bold vuelvo guardar bold) is incorrect.

Why does bold trapeo bold have no accent mark? What’s the difference from bold trapeó bold?

bold trapeo bold = present tense, 1st person singular (yo), pronounced tra-PE-o. No accent.
bold trapeó bold = preterite, 3rd person singular (él/ella/usted), pronounced tra-pe-Ó, with an accent to mark stress: bold Él trapeó la sala. bold

Is it odd to mention bold la escoba bold (broom) when the verb is bold trapear bold (mop)?

It can sound odd if taken literally, because you mop with bold el trapeador bold and sweep with bold la escoba bold. The sentence implies the broom had been used earlier (e.g., you swept first), and now after mopping you put the broom away again. If you want it to match the tool explicitly, say:

bold …y vuelvo a guardar el trapeador. bold If you meant sweeping (not mopping), use:
bold En la tarde barro la sala y vuelvo a guardar la escoba. bold

Could bold la bold in bold La vuelvo a guardar bold refer to bold la sala bold?

Grammatically it could, since both bold sala bold and bold escoba bold are feminine singular, but meaning resolves it: you “put away” a broom, not a living room. So here bold la bold clearly refers to bold la escoba bold.

Why bold la sala bold and not bold mi sala bold?

Spanish often uses the definite article for familiar/obvious places or body parts when context is clear. bold La sala bold naturally reads as “the (home) living room.” If you need to stress ownership, use bold mi sala bold.

Is bold sala bold the same as bold salón bold or bold living bold?

bold sala bold = living room (standard across Latin America)
bold salón bold = a large room/hall; also used for specific rooms (bold salón de clase bold = classroom)
bold living bold = a loanword used in parts of the Southern Cone (Argentina, Uruguay, Chile) Use bold sala bold for the safest, most general “living room.”

Can I use the present progressive instead: bold Estoy trapeando la sala bold?

Yes. Use:

bold Trapeo la sala… bold for habits/routines (or present-time statements in general)
bold Estoy trapeando la sala… bold to emphasize “I am mopping right now.”

Where can I place the time phrase? Is bold Trapeo la sala en la tarde bold okay?

Yes. All are fine, with slight emphasis differences:

bold En la tarde, trapeo la sala… bold (fronted time = emphasis on time)
bold Trapeo la sala en la tarde… bold
bold Trapeo la sala por la tarde… bold (most neutral/panregional)

What hours does bold la tarde bold usually cover?

It varies by region, but roughly from after midday until sunset/dinnertime. After that is bold la noche bold. For “this afternoon,” say bold esta tarde bold (not bold en la tarde bold).

Any regional alternatives to bold trapear bold?

Yes:

Spain: bold fregar el suelo / pasar la fregona / pasar la mopa bold
Southern Cone: bold pasar el trapo bold (colloquial)
General: bold limpiar el piso/suelo bold (generic “clean the floor”)

Could I say bold y guardo la escoba otra vez bold instead of bold y vuelvo a guardar la escoba bold?

Yes. Both mean “and I put the broom away again.” bold Volver a + infinitive bold sounds a bit more compact/formal; bold otra vez/de nuevo bold is very common and natural in speech.

Is bold vuelvo bold irregular?

Yes. bold Volver bold is stem-changing (o → ue) in the present:

bold vuelvo, vuelves, vuelve, volvemos, vuelven bold Preterite (no stem change): bold volví, volviste, volvió, volvimos, volvieron bold.

Does bold y bold ever change to bold e bold here (bold y vuelvo bold)?

No. bold y bold becomes bold e bold only before words starting with the vowel sound “i” (bold e inteligente, e historia bold). It does not change before bold vuelvo bold (or before words like bold hielo/hierro bold, which begin with a consonantal “y” sound in pronunciation).