Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Al final estudiamos español en la sala. - In the end we study Spanish in the living room.

Present tense (we study): Nosotros estudiamos español en la sala. = We (regularly/currently) study Spanish in the room.
Preterite past (we studied): Ayer estudiamos español en la sala. = Yesterday we studied Spanish in the room.

In this sentence, al final (in the end) usually makes speakers interpret it as past:

Al final estudiamos español en la sala.
→ In the end, we studied Spanish in the room.

Spanish uses the same form estudiamos for we study (present) and we studied (preterite). Only context tells you which one is meant.

Why is there no nosotros before estudiamos?

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

Estudiamos can only mean we (1st person plural), so nosotros is not necessary.
You can say Nosotros estudiamos español en la sala, but it usually sounds more emphatic:
→ We (as opposed to others) studied Spanish in the room.

So the default, neutral version is without nosotros:
Al final estudiamos español en la sala.

What exactly does al final mean? Is it in the end or at the end?

Al final often means in the end / eventually, especially without specifying of what.

Al final estudiamos español en la sala.
→ In the end, we studied Spanish in the room. (after considering other options)

If you want at the end of something (time/period/event), Spanish usually adds de:

Al final de la clase estudiamos español.
→ At the end of the class we studied Spanish.

So:

Al final = in the end / eventually (general outcome)
Al final de X = at the end of X (end point of something specific)

What’s the difference between al final, finalmente, and por fin?

All three can be translated as something like finally, but they’re used differently:

Al final
- Focus: final outcome after different possibilities.
- More neutral.
- Al final fuimos al cine. → In the end we went to the movies.
Finalmente
- More formal/written.
- Often just means finally / eventually in a sequence.
- Finalmente, estudiamos español en la sala. → Finally, we studied Spanish in the room.
Por fin
- Has a strong sense of relief / at last!
- Por fin estudiamos español en la sala. → At last we studied Spanish in the room (I’d been waiting for this).

In your sentence, al final implies: after considering other options or after some process, what ended up happening was that you studied Spanish in the room.

What is al exactly? Why not a el final?

Al is a contraction of a + el:

a + el = al

Spanish always contracts these two in standard usage:

✅ Al final estudiamos…
❌ A el final estudiamos…

This contraction happens whenever a (to, at) goes directly before the masculine singular article el:

Voy al parque. = Voy a el parque.
El perro se acercó al niño. = … a el niño.

So al final literally comes from a el final but is always written as al final.

Why is it estudiamos español, not estudiamos el español?

With school subjects and languages, Spanish usually omits the article when using verbs like estudiar, saber, hablar, aprender in a general sense:

Estudiamos español. = We study Spanish.
Estudio matemáticas. = I study math.

You can use the article in some cases, but it changes the nuance:

El español es difícil. → Spanish is difficult. (talking about the language as a concept)
Me gusta el español de Argentina. → I like Argentine Spanish.

So for “we study Spanish (as a subject)”, the usual form is estudiamos español without el.

In Latin America, do people say español or castellano for the language?

In most of Latin America, the common word is español.

Estudiamos español en la sala. → Natural everywhere.

Some regions and specific contexts also use castellano, but patterns vary:

In parts of Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, castellano is very common in everyday speech.
In many other Latin American countries, español is more usual, and castellano may sound more formal or regional.

For general Latin American Spanish learning, español is the safest, most widely understood choice.

What does sala mean here? Is it a classroom, a living room, or just “room”?

Sala usually means a living room / lounge or a large room / hall, not just any room.

Typical meanings in Latin America:

la sala in a house = living room
sala de espera = waiting room
sala de reuniones = meeting room

For a school classroom, the more precise word is usually:

el aula or la sala de clase / sala de clases (depending on the country)
el salón is also used in many places for classroom.

Without more context, en la sala is most naturally “in the living room” or “in the (main) room/hall.”

Why is it en la sala and not a la sala?

Because en means in / inside / at, describing location, while a usually indicates movement or direction.

Estudiamos español en la sala.
→ We study Spanish in the room. (location)

If you were talking about going to the room, you’d use a:

Vamos a la sala. → We go to the room.
Entramos a la sala. (or en la sala, depending on region) → We go into the room.

In your sentence, you’re not moving; you’re stating where the studying happens, so en is correct.

Can I move al final to the middle or end of the sentence?

Yes. Spanish word order is flexible with adverbial phrases like al final, but the nuance can shift slightly.

All of these are grammatically possible:

Al final estudiamos español en la sala.
- Neutral, common: sets up the result right away: In the end, we studied…
Estudiamos, al final, español en la sala.
- More marked/pausy; emphasizes the idea of “after all”.
Estudiamos español en la sala al final.
- More like: We studied Spanish in the room at the end (rather than earlier).
- Can sound more temporal, similar to at the end (of the day/class).

Position affects emphasis:

At the beginning: focus on the whole outcome.
At the end: often read more as a time reference (“at the end”).

Why is español not capitalized in Spanish, unlike Spanish in English?

In Spanish, names of languages and adjectives of nationality are not capitalized, unless they start a sentence:

Hablo español y francés.
Ella es mexicana.

In English:

I speak Spanish and French.
She is Mexican.

So in the middle of the sentence, español is correctly written with a lowercase e:
Al final estudiamos español en la sala.

What’s the difference between estudiamos español and estamos estudiando español?

Both can translate to English “we are studying Spanish”, but the focus is different:

Estudiamos español.
- Simple present.
- More habitual or general: We (regularly / generally) study Spanish.
- Can also be past: we studied Spanish (context decides).
Estamos estudiando español.
- Present progressive.
- Emphasizes an ongoing action right now or around this time:
  → We are (currently) in the process of studying Spanish.

Your sentence with progressive:

Al final estamos estudiando español en la sala.
→ In the end, we are (currently) studying Spanish in the room.
(Sounds less natural than the simple past reading “in the end we studied…”.)

Could Al final estudiamos español en la sala refer to the future, like “In the end we’ll study Spanish in the room”?

Yes, Spanish sometimes uses the present tense for a near or scheduled future, especially with time expressions.

For example:

Mañana estudiamos español en la sala.
→ Tomorrow we study / we’ll study Spanish in the room.

So if the context is a plan or schedule, Al final estudiamos español en la sala could mean:

So, in the end (after planning), we’re going to study / we’ll study Spanish in the room.

But without extra context, most listeners would first interpret it as past:
In the end, we studied Spanish in the room.