Breakdown of Mi casa está lejos del centro, pero la parada del autobús está delante de mi casa.
la casa
the house
mi
my
estar
to be
pero
but
del
of the
el centro
the center
,
comma
el autobús
the bus
la parada
the stop
lejos
far
del
from the
delante de
in front of
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Questions & Answers about Mi casa está lejos del centro, pero la parada del autobús está delante de mi casa.
Why is it está and not es?
Because physical location uses estar. Use ser for identity, characteristics, time, and the location of events. Examples: El museo está en el centro, but La fiesta es en el centro.
What exactly does del centro mean? Do I have to say de la ciudad?
In Spain el centro normally means “the city center/downtown.” del centro is enough unless you need to disambiguate; del centro de la ciudad is more explicit but often redundant.
What is del? When do I contract de + el?
del = de + el (masculine singular article). You must contract with el, but not with la/los/las, and not with the pronoun él. Examples:
- lejos del centro
- lejos de la estación
- el libro es de él (no contraction)
What’s the difference between delante de, enfrente de, and frente a?
- delante de: directly in front of, usually on the same side (right outside your building).
- enfrente de / frente a: opposite/facing, typically across the street. Avoid al frente de for place; in Spain it means “in charge of” or “at the head of.”
Can I say delante de casa instead of delante de mi casa? What about delante de la casa?
- delante de casa is very common and implies “in front of my (own) house.”
- delante de mi casa is fine and explicit.
- delante de la casa refers to “the house” already known in context, not necessarily yours.
Why la parada del autobús instead of la parada de autobús? Which is more natural?
Both occur:
- parada de autobús: the general type (a bus stop).
- parada del autobús: often a specific, known bus’s stop (e.g., the one you use). In Spain you also hear parada del bus (colloquial) and parada de bus. For the bus station, it’s estación de autobuses.
Could I use hay instead of está?
Yes, with an indefinite: Hay una parada de autobús delante de mi casa (introduces existence). La parada del autobús está… locates a specific, known stop. Rule of thumb: hay + un/una to introduce; estar + el/la to locate known things.
What about the accents: está, autobús, mi vs mí?
- está (verb) has an accent; esta (“this,” fem.) does not under current rules.
- autobús is stressed on the last syllable, so it takes an accent.
- mi (“my”) has no accent; mí (“me” after a preposition) does: delante de mí.
Can I use aunque or sin embargo instead of pero?
- pero = “but,” joins two clauses: …, pero …
- aunque = “although.” With facts, use the indicative: …, aunque la parada del autobús está delante de mi casa.
- sin embargo = “however,” usually starts a new sentence: Mi casa está lejos del centro. Sin embargo, la parada…
Is the comma before pero necessary?
Yes. When pero links two clauses, a comma is standard in Spanish: …, pero ….
Can I use quedar for location?
Yes. quedar is common for where things are situated, especially in directions: Mi casa queda lejos del centro; La parada queda delante de mi casa. It can sound a bit more “situated” than estar.
Do I have to repeat mi casa in the second clause?
Not necessarily. Natural options:
- … pero tengo la parada del autobús delante de casa.
- … pero la parada del autobús está delante de casa. Using only delante without de (mi) casa can sound incomplete unless the reference is crystal clear.
Which preposition goes with enfrente?
Use enfrente de. With frente, use frente a. Avoid enfrente a in standard Spain Spanish.
Why is Mi casa es lejos del centro wrong?
Distance/location uses estar or quedar, not ser. Say Mi casa está/queda lejos del centro. Only event locations use ser: El concierto es en el centro.
Do I need the article el with centro?
Yes. You say el centro, so lejos del centro. Saying lejos de centro is ungrammatical.
How does gender agreement work in la parada del autobús?
The article matches the head noun: la parada (fem.). The complement keeps its own article/gender: del autobús (masc., hence de + el = del). Result: la parada del autobús.
How can I express exact distance or time?
Use estar a + distance/time + de:
- Mi casa está a 10 km del centro.
- Mi casa está a 15 minutos en autobús del centro.
Can I intensify lejos?
Yes: muy lejos, bastante lejos, un poco lejos, demasiado lejos. Example: Mi casa está muy lejos del centro.
Are there other words for autobús in Spain?
Yes:
- bus (very common, informal).
- autocar (usually intercity/coach).
- guagua (Canary Islands). Avoid camión for “bus” in Spain; it means “truck.”