Paso por la tienda después del trabajo.

I stop by the store after work.

Breakdown of Paso por la tienda después del trabajo.

• yo: I
• la tienda: the store
• después de: after
• el trabajo: the work
• por: out of, because of
• pasar: to stop by

Questions & Answers about Paso por la tienda después del trabajo.

Why does it say paso and not pasé?

Paso is present tense (yo paso = I pass by / I stop by), which is often used for routines or near-future plans depending on context.
If you mean a completed action in the past, you’d use preterite: Pasé por la tienda después del trabajo (I stopped by the store after work [that day]).

Do I need to include yo (as in Yo paso...)?

Usually no. Spanish commonly drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the subject: paso = I.
You might add yo for emphasis or contrast: Yo paso por la tienda, pero él no (I stop by the store, but he doesn’t).

What exactly does pasar por mean here?

Pasar por literally means to pass by/through, but in everyday speech it often means to drop by/stop by briefly.
So Paso por la tienda commonly implies a quick stop rather than a long shopping trip (though context can change that).

Why is it por la tienda and not a la tienda?

Por emphasizes passing by/along the way or making a stop “on your route.”
If you want to say your destination is the store, Spanish often uses ir a: Voy a la tienda después del trabajo (I’m going to the store after work).
With pasar por, the store is more like a stop during your movement.

How is por different from para in a sentence like this?

A quick rule of thumb:

• por = through/by/along; because of; in exchange for (movement “via” a place fits here)
• para = for; in order to; toward (destination); by (deadline)
  So Paso por la tienda (via the store / stop by the store) is natural; Paso para la tienda is not.

Why does it use la tienda and not una tienda?

La tienda suggests a specific store known in context (your usual store, the store you both have in mind).
Una tienda would mean a (some) store, not a specific one: Paso por una tienda (I stop by a store [some store]).

Is tienda always “store,” or can it mean something else?

In Latin American Spanish, tienda commonly means store/shop. In some places it can also refer to a small neighborhood shop (like a convenience store).
(Separate meaning: tienda de campaña = tent, but tienda by itself is generally store.)

Why is it después del trabajo and not después de el trabajo?

de + el contracts to del in Spanish. So:

• después de el trabajo → después del trabajo (correct standard form)
  This contraction is mandatory in normal writing and speech.

Could después del trabajo mean “after work” in a general sense, not just today?

Yes. With present tense, Paso por la tienda después del trabajo can describe a habit (I stop by the store after work) or a typical plan.
If you want to make it clearly “today,” you can add hoy: Hoy paso por la tienda después del trabajo.

What’s the difference between después and después de?

• después = afterwards/then (no noun directly after it)
  
  • Después paso por la tienda (Afterwards I stop by the store)
• después de = after
  • noun/phrase
    
    • después del trabajo (after work)