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Para evitar otra multa, siempre leo las señales antes de estacionar.

Para evitar otra multa, siempre leo las señales antes de estacionar.
To avoid another fine, I always read the signs before parking.
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Questions & Answers about Para evitar otra multa, siempre leo las señales antes de estacionar.

Why does it start with Para evitar + infinitive? What does that structure do?

Para + infinitivo expresses purpose (the reason you do something).
So Para evitar otra multa = In order to avoid another fine.
It’s one of the most common ways to say “to / in order to” in Spanish.

Why is there a comma after multa? Is it required?

The comma is very common (and usually recommended) when you start a sentence with an introductory purpose phrase like Para evitar otra multa. It helps separate the intro from the main clause:
Para evitar otra multa, siempre leo...
In very short intros, some writers may omit it, but with this length it’s standard to include it.

What’s the difference between evitar and prevenir here?

Both relate to stopping something bad, but they’re used differently:

  • evitar = to avoid (you keep something from happening): evitar una multa
  • prevenir = to prevent (more formal/strategic; often “prevent” in a broader sense): prevenir accidentes, prevenir delitos
    In everyday Spanish, evitar una multa sounds the most natural.
Why is it otra multa and not una otra multa?

In Spanish, otro/otra usually goes directly before the noun without un/una:

  • otra multa = another fine
  • otro problema = another problem
    You can sometimes hear una otra for emphasis or contrast, but it’s less common and can sound marked. The neutral choice is otra multa.
Why does it say siempre leo instead of leo siempre? Where does siempre go?

Both can be correct, but the meaning can shift slightly:

  • Siempre leo las señales... = emphasizes the habit strongly: I always read the signs...
  • Leo siempre las señales... = possible, but often sounds more literary or puts extra focus on leo (as opposed to doing something else).
    The most common everyday placement is siempre before the conjugated verb: siempre leo.
Why is leo in the present tense if this is about avoiding a future fine?

Spanish present tense often expresses habitual actions (what you regularly do), not just what you’re doing right now.
So siempre leo means I always read / I always make a point of reading (a routine) to avoid fines in general.

Why isn’t yo included? Should it be yo siempre leo?

Spanish usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the subject: leo = I read.
You add yo mainly for:

  • emphasis (Yo siempre leo..., but others don’t)
  • contrast (Yo leo, pero él no lee)
  • clarity (if needed)
    Neutral, natural Spanish here: siempre leo.
Does las señales mean “signals” or “signs”? What kind of signs?

In this context, las señales means (traffic/parking) signs, not “signals” like communication signals.
It can refer to:

  • posted parking restriction signs
  • street/traffic signs related to parking
    If you want to be more specific, you could say las señales de estacionamiento (the parking signs).
How does antes de work here? Why is it antes de estacionar and not antes de que estaciono?

Rule of thumb:

  • antes de + infinitivo when the subject is the same person:
    (Yo) ... antes de estacionar = before (I) park
  • antes de que + subjuntivo when the subject changes or you introduce a full clause:
    antes de que él estacione = before he parks
    Here the subject stays “I,” so antes de estacionar is the natural structure.
Is estacionar the normal verb in Latin America? What about aparcar?

Yes—estacionar is very common in Latin America (and also understood elsewhere).
aparcar is very common in Spain.
In many Latin American regions you’ll also hear parquear (from “park”), especially in casual speech, but estacionar is broadly standard.

Should it be estacionar or estacionarme / estacionarse (reflexive)? What’s the difference?

Both exist, depending on region and nuance:

  • estacionar (algo) often implies you’re “parking (a car)”—the car is the object, even if it’s not stated.
  • estacionarse can emphasize “to park oneself / to get parked,” and in some places it’s very common: antes de estacionarme.
    In many Latin American contexts, antes de estacionar is perfectly natural and understood as “before parking (the car).”