Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): En promedio, camino ocho mil pasos al día. - On average, I walk eight thousand steps a day.

In Spanish, introductory adverbial phrases like En promedio often take a comma, especially if they set the scene for the whole clause. It’s optional here; both En promedio, camino… and En promedio camino… are accepted. The comma slightly emphasizes the phrase.

Do I need the preposition en in en promedio, or can I just say promedio?

To mean “on average,” you need the fixed expression en promedio in Latin American Spanish. Saying just Promedio, camino… is not idiomatic. Another common option is to use promedio as a noun: Camino un promedio de ocho mil pasos al día.

Is promedio the best word in Latin America? What about media?

In Latin America, promedio is the most common term for the statistical “average.” Media is fully correct and understood, but it’s more frequent in Spain. For a Latin American flavor, en promedio is the natural choice.

Why is the subject pronoun yo omitted before camino?

Spanish usually omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already tells you the subject. Camino uniquely marks first person singular (I). You can add yo for emphasis or contrast: Yo camino ocho mil pasos…, but it’s not needed.

Does camino also mean road? How do I tell them apart?

Yes. camino (no article) here is the verb caminar in the present: “I walk.” el camino (with article) is the noun “road/path.” Context and the presence of an article distinguish them: camino vs el camino.

Can I use andar instead of caminar?

Often, yes. In much of Latin America, andar can mean “to walk,” though it’s broader (“to go around,” “to function”). For step counts, the most idiomatic options are:

Camino ocho mil pasos al día.
Doy ocho mil pasos al día. Andar with an explicit number of steps is less common but understandable: Ando ocho mil pasos al día sounds regional/informal.

Is caminar allowed with a direct object like ocho mil pasos?

Yes. While caminar is typically intransitive (“to walk”), it’s widely used transitively with measure expressions meaning “to cover by walking”: caminar cinco kilómetros / diez cuadras / ocho mil pasos. This is standard and natural.

Why isn’t there a y between ocho and mil?

Spanish inserts y only between tens and units (e.g., treinta y uno). It doesn’t appear between thousands and hundreds/units: ocho mil, dos mil trescientos, dos mil uno.

Does mil ever become plural miles when counting?

With a specific number, use singular mil: ocho mil, dos mil.
Use plural miles only for “thousands (of)”: miles de pasos = “thousands of steps.” Never say ocho miles.

Can I write the number with digits instead of words?

Yes. In running text, both ocho mil and 8 000/8.000 are fine. Style notes:

Spanish uses a comma for decimals (8,5) and prefers a thin space or a dot as the thousands separator: 8 000 or 8.000.
In everyday Latin American writing, you’ll often see 8,000, but in formal Spanish typography it’s not the recommended standard. For step counts, many writers still spell it out if the number is round: ocho mil.

How do I pronounce the sentence?

Approximate Latin American pronunciation:

En promedio [em pɾo-MEH-dyoh] (the r is a quick tap; the d between vowels is soft).
camino [ka-MEE-noh].
ocho mil [OH-choh meel].
pasos [PAH-sos].
al día [al DEE-ah] (the accent on día marks the stress on í). Said naturally: [em pɾoˈmeðjo kaˈmino ˈotʃo mil ˈpasos al ˈdi.a].

Why does día have an accent?

The accent on día (í) marks the stressed syllable and shows that í and a form two syllables (a hiatus): DÍ-a. Without the accent, it would be written incorrectly and read as a diphthong, changing the syllabification and stress.

Why is it al día and not a el día?

Spanish contracts a + el into al. The contraction is mandatory: al día, not ❌a el día.

Can I say por día or cada día instead of al día?

al día and por día both mean “per day” and are common in Latin America. al día often sounds a bit more idiomatic/natural in this context.
cada día means “each day” and emphasizes frequency rather than rate: Camino ocho mil pasos cada día suggests you actually do it daily. You can also use an adjective: ocho mil pasos diarios.

Why is día singular in al día?

Because it’s a rate per unit time. Spanish, like English, uses the singular for rates: por hora, a la semana, al mes, al día.

Can I move en promedio to another position?

Yes. Common options:

En promedio, camino ocho mil pasos al día.
Camino ocho mil pasos al día, en promedio.
Camino, en promedio, ocho mil pasos al día. (less common, but grammatical) Position affects emphasis only, not meaning.

Is al día ever ambiguous (e.g., “up to date”)?

It can mean “up to date” in expressions like estar al día. In your sentence, the presence of a number and a unit makes the “per day” meaning clear, so there’s no ambiguity.

Is Doy ocho mil pasos al día correct?

Yes. Dar pasos (“to take steps”) is very idiomatic for step counts: Doy ocho mil pasos al día. Both this and Camino ocho mil pasos al día are natural.

How do I say about eight thousand?

Use unos or alrededor de:

Camino unos ocho mil pasos al día.
Camino alrededor de ocho mil pasos al día.

Is the simple present the right tense for a habitual action?

Yes. Spanish simple present covers habitual actions: Camino… = “I (usually) walk…”. You don’t need estoy caminando unless you mean “I am walking (right now).”

Should there be an article before pasos?

No article is used with a specific number: ocho mil pasos. You’d use an article only if referring to specific, known steps: los pasos.

Could ocho mil be written as one word?

Not in this meaning. As a curiosity, ochomil (one word) is a noun for mountains over 8,000 m: un ochomil, los ochomiles. When talking about quantity, it’s always two words: ocho mil.

What’s the difference between camino, caminé, and caminó?

camino = I walk (present).
caminé = I walked (preterite).
caminó = he/she/you (formal) walked (preterite). Note the accent marks in the past forms.

Why not pasos ocho mil?

In modern Spanish, cardinal numbers normally come before the noun: ocho mil pasos. Postposed numbers like pasos ocho mil are archaic or poetic.