Veo humo en la calle.

I see smoke on the street.

Breakdown of Veo humo en la calle.

• yo: I
• la calle: the street
• en: on
• ver: to see
• el humo: the smoke

Questions & Answers about Veo humo en la calle.

Why is it veo and not yo veo?

In Spanish you usually omit the subject pronoun (like yo, tú, él, etc.) because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• veo = yo veo (I see)
• The ending -o indicates first person singular (I).
• You normally say just Veo humo en la calle in everyday speech.
• You add yo only for emphasis or contrast, e.g. Yo veo humo, pero tú no ves nada (I see smoke, but you don’t see anything).

What’s the difference between ver and mirar?

Both can translate as “to see / to look”, but they’re used differently:

• ver = to see / notice something (more passive, perception)

  • Veo humo en la calle. – I see smoke in the street.
  • No veo nada. – I don’t see anything.

• mirar = to look at / watch something (more active, intention)

  • Miro la televisión. – I watch TV.
  • Mira allá. – Look over there.

In this sentence, ver is correct because you’re noticing smoke, not purposely looking at it for a while.

How is ver conjugated in the present tense?

Ver is slightly irregular. In the present indicative:

• yo veo – I see
• tú ves – you see (informal)
• él / ella / usted ve – he / she / you (formal) see
• nosotros / nosotras vemos – we see
• ustedes ven – you (plural) see
• ellos / ellas ven – they see

So veo is “I see.”

Why is there no article before humo? Why not el humo or un humo?

Spanish often drops the article with non‑count, indefinite substances like smoke, water, air, etc., when you mean “some (unspecified) amount” of it.

• Veo humo. – I see (some) smoke.
• Veo agua. – I see (some) water.

You would use an article to be more specific:

• Veo el humo. – I see the smoke (a specific smoke we both know about).
• Veo un humo raro. – I see a strange smoke (a particular “kind” or cloud of smoke).

Here, Veo humo just means you see some smoke, not any particular, already‑known smoke.

Can humo be plural, like humos?

Normally, no. Humo is usually uncountable, like “smoke” in English, so you almost always see it in the singular:

• Sale mucho humo. – A lot of smoke is coming out.

Humos exists, but it’s rare and usually:

• Figurative (e.g. echarse humos = to act stuck‑up).
• In some technical or specialized uses.

For everyday talk about visible smoke, stick with singular humo.

What is the gender of humo and calle, and how can I tell from the sentence?

• humo is masculine: el humo.
  • There’s no article in the sentence, but the dictionary form is el humo.
• calle is feminine: la calle.
  • You can see this from la in en la calle.

So:

• Veo humo (no article, but humo is masculine).
• en la calle (feminine noun, so it uses la).

What exactly does en la calle mean? Is it “in the street” or “on the street”?

en la calle can translate as both “in the street” and “on the street”, depending on context. Spanish uses en for many situations where English switches between in, on, or even at:

• Vivo en esta calle. – I live on this street.
• Hay un accidente en la calle. – There’s an accident in the street.

So Veo humo en la calle could be:

• I see smoke in the street.
• I see smoke on the street.

English chooses the preposition based on style; Spanish just uses en here.

Could I say Veo humo en la carretera instead of en la calle?

Yes, but it changes the type of place:

• la calle = a street, typically in a town or city.
• la carretera = a road / highway between places.

So:

• Veo humo en la calle. – I see smoke in the (city) street.
• Veo humo en la carretera. – I see smoke on the road / highway.

Can I change the word order, like En la calle veo humo?

Yes. Both are correct:

• Veo humo en la calle. (neutral, most common)
• En la calle veo humo. (puts a bit more emphasis or focus on where you see it)

Spanish word order is fairly flexible as long as the sentence is clear. The basic meaning stays the same.

What’s the difference between Veo humo en la calle and Hay humo en la calle?

• Veo humo en la calle. emphasizes your perception:
  You personally see smoke there.

• Hay humo en la calle. emphasizes existence:
  There is smoke in the street (it exists there, whether you see it or not).

Both could be translated as “There’s smoke in the street”, but:

• Veo = “I see…”
• Hay = “there is / there are”

Why not use a progressive form like Estoy viendo humo en la calle?

You can say it, but it has a slightly different feel.

• Veo humo en la calle. – Simple present; in Spanish it covers what English says as “I see smoke…” (right now).
• Estoy viendo humo en la calle. – Present progressive; stresses the ongoing action of seeing, or sounds more narrative/dramatic.

Spanish uses the simple present much more than English does for things happening right now, so Veo humo en la calle is the most natural choice in most situations.

How do you pronounce veo, humo, and calle in Latin American Spanish?

Approximate pronunciation (using English-like hints):

• veo – “BEH-oh”
  • 2 syllables: ve‑o.
  • The v is pronounced like a soft b in most of Latin America.
• humo – “OO-moh”
  • The h is silent.
  • Stress on the first syllable: HU‑mo.
• calle – varies a bit by region, but common Latin American versions:
  • “KAH-yeh” (like “kah-yeh”)
  • In some areas (Argentina, Uruguay, some parts of Chile), more like “KAH-sheh” or “KAH-zheh”.

All together, a neutral pronunciation might sound like: “BEH-oh OO-moh en lah KAH-yeh.”

Does la calle mean a specific street or streets in general?

It can be either, depending on context:

• specific street:

  • Hay un perro en la calle. – There’s a dog in the street (a particular street we’re talking about or can see).

• streets in general / outside:

  • Vive en la calle. – He/She lives on the street (homeless).
  • Los niños juegan en la calle. – Children play in the street(s) / outside.

In Veo humo en la calle, it most commonly means in the street (right there outside); whether it’s a specific known street or just “the street outside” depends on the situation.