Mi hermana quiere mudarse al centro.

my

Breakdown of Mi hermana quiere mudarse al centro.

• la hermana: the sister
• a: to
• querer: to want

Questions & Answers about Mi hermana quiere mudarse al centro.

What does al centro mean here—“to the center” of what? Is it “downtown”?

In Latin America, el centro almost always means the city’s downtown or historic center. So mudarse al centro = “to move downtown.” If you want to be explicit, you can say al centro de la ciudad, but it’s usually not necessary in context.

Why is it mudarse (reflexive) and not just mudar?

Mudarse is the standard way to say “to move (residences).” The reflexive pronoun shows the subject is relocating themselves.

• Mi hermana quiere mudarse al centro. = My sister wants to relocate (herself).
  Without the reflexive, mudar is transitive: “to move/relocate something,” or “to change” (often clothing or skin):
• Quiere mudar la oficina al centro. (move the office)
• Voy a mudar de ropa. (change clothes)
  Don’t say mudar al centro for a person’s residential move.

Can I say Mi hermana se quiere mudar al centro instead of quiere mudarse?