Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): En la rotonda toma el segundo carril para salir hacia el centro. - At the roundabout take the second lane to exit toward downtown.

In many Latin American regions, instructions to the general public default to usted. So you may hear En la rotonda, tome… instead of toma. GPS apps vary by market; both are correct, but choose the register that fits your audience.

Why is it en la rotonda and not a la rotonda?

En means “in/at,” which matches “at the roundabout.” A la rotonda would mean “to the roundabout,” i.e., movement toward it. You could also say: Al llegar a la rotonda, toma… (“On reaching the roundabout, take…”).

Is rotonda the usual word everywhere in Latin America?

It varies by country:

rotonda: widely understood (e.g., Chile, Argentina, Central America)
glorieta: Mexico, Colombia (also in Spain)
redoma: Venezuela
óvalo: Peru
redondel: Ecuador, Guatemala All are roundabouts; signage often reflects the local term.

Does el segundo carril mean “the second exit”?

No. carril = lane; salida = exit.

“Second lane” = el segundo carril
“Second exit” = la segunda salida Roundabout directions more commonly number exits: Toma la segunda salida…

From which side are lanes counted when someone says el segundo carril?

It can be ambiguous if not specified. In right-hand traffic countries (most of Latin America), people often count from the rightmost lane, but careful speakers say desde la derecha or desde la izquierda. GPS prompts usually add that detail.

Why is it para salir and not para que salgas?

Use para + infinitive when the subject is the same: “(you) take… in order to (you) exit.” If the subject changes, use para que + subjunctive (e.g., para que él salga).

Can I use por salir instead of para salir?

No. por salir suggests “about to leave” or reason, not purpose. For purpose or goal, use para + infinitive: para salir.

What nuance does hacia have here compared with a or hasta?

hacia = toward, in the direction of (doesn’t imply arrival)
a = to (destination)
hasta = up to / as far as Here hacia el centro = “toward downtown.” al centro would present it as the destination.

Should hacia el contract the way a el becomes al?

No. Only a + el → al and de + el → del contract. hacia el does not.

What does el centro mean here, and why the article?

el centro means “downtown/city center.” Spanish normally uses the article with this place noun. It isn’t capitalized unless it’s part of a proper name.

Why is there no subject pronoun (tú) in the sentence?

Spanish often omits subject pronouns because the verb form shows who the subject is. Imperatives typically don’t take an explicit subject pronoun unless for emphasis: Tú toma… (rare in instructions).

Any pronunciation tips for these words?

hacia: silent h; ci = “see” → [AH-see-ah] (Latin America seseo)
carril: rr is a trill; stress on the last syllable → ca-RRIL
rotonda: stress on second syllable → ro-TON-da
segundo: hard g; stress on second syllable → se-GUN-do

Could I say agarra or coge instead of toma?

agarrar (“grab/take”) is common colloquially in parts of Latin America: Agarra el segundo carril.
coger is standard in Spain for “take,” but in much of Latin America it’s vulgar. For a pan–Latin American audience, toma, mantente en, or ponte en are safer: Mantente en el segundo carril.

Why not use sal instead of salir?

sal is the imperative of salir (“leave/exit”), but after para you need the infinitive to express purpose: para salir. You could give a separate command—En la rotonda, sal hacia el centro—but that omits the lane guidance.

Does segundo need to agree with carril?

Yes. carril is masculine singular, so segundo carril. With salida (feminine), it becomes segunda salida.

What’s the difference between salir and salirse in driving talk?

salir (de): to exit/leave (neutral)
salirse (de): to go off/leave (often emphasizes the act of moving out of the main roadway; sometimes accidental) For instructions, salir is the safe default: para salir hacia….

Can I reorder the sentence?

Yes. Natural variants include:

En la rotonda, toma el segundo carril para salir hacia el centro.
Toma el segundo carril en la rotonda para salir hacia el centro.
Para salir hacia el centro, en la rotonda toma el segundo carril. Punctuation with commas helps readability.

If the intention was “take the second exit,” how would you say it?

Use salida: En la rotonda, toma la segunda salida hacia el centro. That’s the common way to number exits in roundabouts.

Is there any accent missing in toma?

No. toma (command to tú) has no written accent. If you add pronouns, you may need one for stress: tómalo, tómalos, etc.