En la esquina del parque infantil hay un columpio rojo.

In the corner of the playground there is a red swing.

Breakdown of En la esquina del parque infantil hay un columpio rojo.

• en: in
• un: a
• del: of the
• la esquina: the corner
• rojo: red
• haber: there to be
• el parque infantil: the playground
• el columpio: the swing

Questions & Answers about En la esquina del parque infantil hay un columpio rojo.

Why is en used in En la esquina to mean “at the corner”? Doesn’t en usually mean “in”?

Spanish en is broader than English in:

• It can mean in, on, or at, depending on context.
• For static location (where something is), Spanish normally uses en.

Examples:

• En la esquina = at the corner
• En la mesa = on the table
• En la casa = in the house

When there is movement towards a place, you normally use a:

• Voy a la esquina. = I’m going to the corner.

So En la esquina del parque infantil hay… literally is “In/at the corner of the playground there is…”, and English chooses at there, but Spanish still uses en.

What’s the difference between esquina and rincón? Could I say rincón here?

No, rincón would be strange here. The two words describe different types of “corner”:

• esquina = an outside corner, usually formed by the meeting of two streets, sidewalks, or the outer edges of something.
  
  • en la esquina de la calle = at the street corner
• rincón = an inside corner, usually inside a room or enclosed space; or a small hidden/quiet place.
  • en el rincón de la habitación = in the corner of the room

A park/playground “corner” is like a street corner (the outer edge of an area), so esquina is the correct word:

• En la esquina del parque infantil… ✅
• En el rincón del parque infantil… ❌ (would sound like a little hidden nook inside, not the outer corner)

Why is it la esquina and not el esquina?

Because esquina is a feminine noun in Spanish.

• Nouns in Spanish have grammatical gender (masculine or feminine) that you simply have to learn with each word.
• Many nouns ending in -a are feminine (like la casa, la mesa, la esquina), though there are exceptions.

So you must say:

• la esquina (the corner)
  not el esquina.

When learning vocabulary, it’s good to memorize noun + article together:

• la esquina
• el parque
• el columpio

What does del mean in del parque infantil? Why not just de el?

del is the mandatory contraction of de + el (of + the):

• de + el = del
• a + el = al

So:

• de el parque infantil ❌
• del parque infantil ✅

You only don’t contract when él is the pronoun “he/him”:

• de él = of him (with accent mark)
• del = of the (no accent mark)

In the sentence:

• del parque infantil = of the playground / of the children’s park

What does parque infantil actually mean? Is it really “playground”?

Yes, parque infantil is a common way to say “playground”.

Literally:

• parque = park
• infantil = for children / related to children

So parque infantil is like “children’s park” or “kids’ park”, but in practice it normally means a play area for children with swings, slides, etc.

In Latin America, parque infantil is widely understood and often appears on signs, maps, or official texts. In everyday speech, people might also just say el parque if it’s obvious they mean the local playground.

Could I say parque de niños or parque para niños instead of parque infantil?

Yes, but there are small nuances:

• parque infantil
  
  • Very common and concise.
  • Sounds neutral and is often used in signs, official descriptions, or maps.
• parque para niños
  
  • Literally “park for children.”
  • Also natural; emphasizes that the park is for kids.
• parque de niños
  
  • Can be used, but can sound a bit more like “children’s park” in the sense of “park belonging to children.”
  • Less common than parque infantil or parque para niños in many places.

All three can be understood in Latin America, but parque infantil is a very standard choice for “playground.”

Why does the sentence start with En la esquina del parque infantil instead of Hay un columpio rojo…?

Spanish allows flexible word order, and changing it can change the emphasis.

1. En la esquina del parque infantil hay un columpio rojo.

   • Emphasis on the location first: “At the corner of the playground, there is a red swing.”
   • Good when you’re describing a place and mentioning what’s there.

2. Hay un columpio rojo en la esquina del parque infantil.

   • Emphasis on the thing that exists: “There is a red swing at the corner of the playground.”
   • More neutral order if you’re just pointing out that a red swing exists and then giving its location.

Both are grammatically correct. The chosen sentence puts the place first to frame the scene by location.

What does hay mean here, and how is it different from está or es?

In this sentence, hay means “there is”.

• hay = there is / there are
  
  • Used to talk about the existence or quantity of something, usually not yet identified or indefinite.
  • Often followed by un/una or a number:
    • Hay un columpio rojo. = There is a red swing.
    • Hay tres columpios. = There are three swings.

Compare:

• está / están = is / are (location of specific, known things)

  • El columpio rojo está en la esquina.
    = The red swing is at the corner. (We already know which red swing.)

• es / son = is / are (identity, description)

  • El columpio es rojo. = The swing is red. (Describing what it’s like.)

So:

• Hay un columpio rojo… introduces the existence of “a red swing.”
• El columpio rojo está… tells you where a specific, known red swing is.

Why is it un columpio rojo and not el columpio rojo?

Because we’re talking about “a” swing, not “the” swing:

• un columpio rojo = a red swing (indefinite, not identified before)
• el columpio rojo = the red swing (definite, a specific one we already know about)

This also matches the use of hay:

• You normally say:
  
  • Hay un columpio rojo. ✅
  • Hay columpios rojos. ✅
• You do not say:
  
  • Hay el columpio rojo. ❌

If you wanted to use el, you would switch to está:

• El columpio rojo está en la esquina del parque infantil.
  = The red swing is at the corner of the playground.

Why does rojo come after columpio in un columpio rojo?

Because in Spanish, adjectives usually come after the noun, especially:

• Colors: columpio rojo, coche azul
• Shape, nationality, material, etc.

So:

• un columpio rojo = a red swing (natural)
• un rojo columpio sounds strange or poetically marked.

Some adjectives commonly go before the noun (like buen, mal, gran, mucho, poco):

• un buen parque = a good park
• una gran ciudad = a great city

But color adjectives like rojo normally go after the noun in standard usage.

What exactly is a columpio in Latin American Spanish? Is it a hammock?

No, columpio is not a hammock.

• columpio = a swing (playground equipment): a seat hanging from chains or ropes that you can swing back and forth on.
• hamaca = a hammock, usually for resting or sleeping, not typically found as standard playground equipment.

Other common playground words (just for contrast):

• resbaladilla / tobogán = slide (varies by country)
• sube y baja / balancín = seesaw

So in un columpio rojo, we’re talking about a red swing, not a hammock.

Could the sentence also be En la esquina del parque infantil está un columpio rojo?

You might hear está un columpio rojo in some regional varieties, but for standard, neutral Spanish (and especially as a learner), you should avoid that structure.

Better options are:

• En la esquina del parque infantil hay un columpio rojo. ✅

  • Introduces the existence of a swing (indefinite).

• El columpio rojo está en la esquina del parque infantil. ✅

  • Refers to a specific, known red swing and gives its location.

So for the meaning “At the corner of the playground there is a red swing,” hay is the natural and recommended verb.