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Gira a la derecha en la esquina del parque.

Gira a la derecha en la esquina del parque.
Turn right at the corner of the park.
FromLesson 16inHardcore Spanish (Spain)

Breakdown of Gira a la derecha en la esquina del parque.

en
at
a
to
el parque
the park
del
of the
girar
to turn
la derecha
the right
la esquina
the corner

Questions & Answers about Gira a la derecha en la esquina del parque.

Is gira an imperative or the present tense?
It can be either. Here, in a directions context, it’s the affirmative tú imperative: gira = “Turn.” It looks identical to the 3rd‑person singular present (“he/she turns”), so context (instructions/GPS, no subject) tells you it’s a command.
Who is being addressed? How do I change it for formality or number?
  • tú (informal singular): gira
  • usted (formal singular): gire
  • vosotros (informal plural, Spain): girad
  • ustedes (formal plural in Spain; plural in most of Latin America): giren Examples: Gire a la derecha… (to a stranger); Girad a la derecha… (to a group of friends in Spain).
Can I use tuerce or dobla instead of gira?
  • tuerce (from torcer) is common and natural in Spain: Tuerce a la derecha… (usted: tuerza; vosotros: torced; ustedes: tuerzan).
  • dobla is very common in Latin America. In Spain people understand it, but girar/torcer sound more native.
Why a la derecha, not a la derecho or just a derecha?
Because derecha here is a feminine noun meaning “the right(-hand side),” so it takes the article: a la derecha. You normally can’t drop the article. A set phrase is a mano derecha (“on the right-hand side”). Note: in Spain “straight ahead” is todo recto (not derecho).
What exactly does en la esquina del parque mean?
“At the corner of the park” (the corner is the location where you should turn). If you want to make the timing explicit, you can say al llegar a la esquina del parque (“when you reach the corner of the park”).
Why del and not de el?
Spanish contracts de + el to del. So de el parque becomes del parque. There’s no contraction with la/las/los.
Why use en before la esquina rather than a?
en marks the location at which the action occurs: “turn right at the corner.” a la esquina would mean “to the corner,” i.e., movement toward it, which isn’t the intended meaning here. A natural alternative is al llegar a la esquina….
Is there ambiguity about which corner?

Yes, it could be any corner of the park. Spanish often disambiguates with:

  • en la primera/segunda esquina
  • en la esquina norte/sur del parque
  • en la esquina junto a la cafetería, etc.
Can I front the place: En la esquina del parque, gira a la derecha?
Yes. Same meaning; it just foregrounds the location. Use a comma after the location.
How do I make it more polite?

Use usted and optionally por favor:

  • Por favor, gire a la derecha en la esquina del parque.
  • Gire a la derecha en la esquina del parque, por favor. With friends you can say Por favor, gira….
How do I address multiple people informally in Spain?
Use vosotros: Girad a la derecha en la esquina del parque. For a group formally (Spain) or for any group in Latin America: Giren….
Any pronunciation tips?
  • gira: the g before i sounds like Spanish j (a throaty h); single r is a quick tap: roughly “HEE-rah.”
  • esquina: “es-KEE-nah” (qu = k).
  • derecha: “de-RE-cha” (ch as in “chew”).
  • parque: “PAR-keh.”
Why is la esquina but del parque?
Grammatical gender: esquina and derecha are feminine; parque is masculine. Hence la esquina, a la derecha, but del parque.
When should I capitalize parque?
Only if it’s part of a proper name: en la esquina del Parque del Retiro. Otherwise parque is lowercase.
What’s the difference between en la esquina del parque and a la derecha del parque?
  • en la esquina del parque: the place where you turn is the park’s corner.
  • a la derecha del parque: something located to the right of the park (relative position), not a turning instruction.
Can I say coge or toma instead of gira?

In Spain you’ll often hear them with a noun:

  • Coge/Toma la primera a la derecha.
  • Toma la salida a la derecha. For a bare “turn right,” gira or tuerce is more idiomatic. Caution: coger is vulgar in many Latin American countries.
How do I say the negative command?

Use the negative imperative (subjunctive):

  • tú: No gires a la derecha en la esquina del parque.
  • usted: No gire…
  • vosotros: No giréis…
  • ustedes: No giren…
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