Camina alrededor de la plaza y verás la cafetería.

Walk around the plaza and you will see the café.

Breakdown of Camina alrededor de la plaza y verás la cafetería.

• tú: you
• caminar: to walk
• y: and
• ver: to see
• la plaza: the plaza
• alrededor de: around
• la cafetería: the café

Questions & Answers about Camina alrededor de la plaza y verás la cafetería.

What does Camina mean here, and why isn’t it Caminas?

Camina is the imperative (command) form of the verb caminar for tú (informal “you”).

• Camina = “Walk” (as a command to you).
• Caminas = “You walk / you are walking” (present tense, not a command).

So Camina alrededor de la plaza means “Walk around the square”, telling someone what to do, not describing what they usually do.

Could I also say Camine alrededor de la plaza?

Yes, but it changes who you’re talking to.

• Camina = informal tú command (“Walk”, talking to a friend, someone your age, a child).
• Camine = formal usted command (“Walk”, talking politely: to a stranger, older person, in a formal situation).
• Caminen = formal or informal plural ustedes command (“Walk”, talking to more than one person).

So you choose between Camina / Camine / Caminen depending on formality and number of people.

Why is there no tú in Camina alrededor de la plaza?

In Spanish, subject pronouns (yo, tú, él, etc.) are usually dropped because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• Camina already tells us it’s a tú command.
• Saying Tú camina alrededor de la plaza is possible but sounds more emphatic or even a bit impatient in many contexts.

For a neutral, normal direction, the natural form is just Camina.

Why do we say alrededor de la plaza and not just alrededor la plaza?

The expression in Spanish is alrededor de + [thing]:

• alrededor de la plaza = “around the square”
• alrededor de la casa = “around the house”

You must include de after alrededor when you say what you’re going around.
Alrededor la plaza is incorrect; the preposition de is required.

What’s the difference between alrededor de la plaza and en la plaza?

They describe different positions:

• alrededor de la plaza = around the square, moving or being in the area surrounding it, not inside it.
  
  • “Walk around the edges of the square / on the streets around it.”
• en la plaza = in the square, being inside it or in the space it covers.
  
  • “Walk in the square (inside the plaza itself).”

So Camina alrededor de la plaza means you should go around it, not inside it.

What tense is verás and why is it used here?

Verás is the simple future of ver (to see), for tú:

• verás = “you will see”

It’s used here because the seeing happens after you do the walking. The structure is:

• Camina… y verás…
  → “Do this, and then you will see that.”

Using the future is very natural in Spanish directions to express the result that will follow your action.

Can I say vas a ver la cafetería instead of verás la cafetería?

Yes, both are correct and very common:

• verás la cafetería = “you will see the café”
• vas a ver la cafetería = “you’re going to see the café”

In everyday Latin American Spanish, vas a ver is probably more common in speech, but verás is also perfectly natural here.
There’s no big meaning difference in this context; both express a future result of walking around the square.

Which verb does verás come from, and how is it formed?

Verás comes from the verb ver (“to see”).

Future tense of ver:

• yo veré – I will see
• tú verás – you will see
• él / ella / usted verá – he/she/you (formal) will see
• nosotros veremos – we will see
• ustedes / ellos / ellas verán – you all / they will see

So verás is the tú form: “you will see”.

Why do we say la cafetería instead of just cafetería?

In Spanish, when you talk about a specific place that both speaker and listener can identify, you normally use the definite article:

• la cafetería = the café (a particular one you’re pointing out or both know about)

Compare:

• Camina alrededor de la plaza y verás la cafetería.
  → There is a specific café you will see.

Saying just verás cafetería would sound incomplete or odd here; you’d almost always use la cafetería in directions like this.

Is cafetería the same as café in Latin America?

They’re related but not always identical:

• la cafetería often suggests a place that serves coffee and simple food, maybe more like a diner, snack bar, or cafeteria-style place (depending on the country).
• el café can mean both:
  • coffee (the drink), and
  • a coffee shop / café (the place).

In many situations, verás la cafetería and verás el café could both be understood as “you’ll see the café,” but the nuance can vary by country and by how the business calls itself.

Could I change the order and say Verás la cafetería si caminas alrededor de la plaza?

Yes, that’s grammatically correct and natural:

• Verás la cafetería si caminas alrededor de la plaza.
  → “You’ll see the café if you walk around the square.”

The original sentence:

• Camina alrededor de la plaza y verás la cafetería.

Both express the same basic idea. The original sounds a bit more direct and typical for giving directions: command + result (“Do this, and you’ll see it”).

How polite or strong does Camina… sound? Are there softer alternatives?

Camina… is a straightforward command, but in the context of giving directions, it doesn’t usually sound rude; it’s normal and neutral.

To sound softer or more polite, you can:

• Add por favor:
  
  • Camina alrededor de la plaza y verás la cafetería, por favor.
• Use formal:
  
  • Camine alrededor de la plaza y verá la cafetería.
• Use a less direct structure:
  
  • Tienes que caminar alrededor de la plaza y vas a ver la cafetería.
  • Si caminas alrededor de la plaza, vas a ver la cafetería.

But as a simple direction to a friend or someone your age, Camina alrededor de la plaza y verás la cafetería is perfectly normal.