Breakdown of Camina hacia la fuente de la plaza.
caminar
to walk
de
of
la plaza
the square
hacia
toward
la fuente
the fountain
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Questions & Answers about Camina hacia la fuente de la plaza.
Is camina a command or a statement here?
It can be either. Spanish often drops subject pronouns, so:
- As a statement: “He/She walks toward the fountain of the square.” (also “You walk…” if addressing someone formally: Usted camina…)
- As a command: “Walk toward the fountain of the square.” Context or adding a pronoun/punctuation clarifies: Él/Ella camina… (statement) vs. ¡Camina…! (command).
If it’s a command, which form is camina?
It’s the affirmative tú imperative (informal singular). Other command forms (Spain):
- tú: camina; negative: no camines
- usted: camine; negative: no camine
- vosotros: caminad; negative: no caminéis
- ustedes: caminen; negative: no caminen
Could I say Ve hacia la fuente instead of Camina…?
Yes. Ve (from ir) means “go,” without specifying walking. Use camina if you want to emphasize going on foot. In Spain, anda can also mean “walk” in context: Anda hasta la fuente, though camina is clearer in instructions.
Why use hacia and not a or hasta?
- hacia = toward, in the direction of (doesn’t guarantee arrival): Camina hacia la fuente.
- a = to (typically implies destination): Camina a la fuente.
- hasta = up to/as far as (endpoint stressed): Camina hasta la fuente. Don’t use para for physical direction here; para is “for/in order to.”
Does hacia ever mean “around/approximately”?
Yes, with time/quantity: hacia las cinco = “around five o’clock.” In your sentence it’s directional, not approximate time.
Why de la plaza and not en la plaza?
- la fuente de la plaza = “the square’s fountain” (the one belonging to/associated with that square).
- la fuente en la plaza = “the fountain in the square” (location). Both can be correct, but the original emphasizes the fountain that is part of that square.
Should it be del plaza instead of de la plaza?
No. The contraction del only happens with de + el (masculine singular). Plaza is feminine, so it stays de la.
Why are there articles (la fuente, la plaza)? Could I drop them?
Spanish normally uses definite articles with specific nouns: “the fountain,” “the square.” You’d only drop them if speaking generally or indefinitively (e.g., una fuente = “a fountain”).
How do you pronounce the sentence in Spain?
- Camina: kah-MEE-nah (stress on MI)
- hacia: AH-thya (h is silent; c before i = “th” in most of Spain)
- la fuente: lah FWEN-teh
- de la plaza: deh lah PLAH-tha (z = “th” in most of Spain) In Latin America, c/z before i/e sound like “s” instead of “th.”
Could fuente mean “source” instead of “fountain”?
Yes, fuente can mean “source” or “fountain.” With plaza, it almost certainly means a decorative water fountain.
Can I change the word order, like Hacia la fuente de la plaza camina?
Yes, you can front the prepositional phrase for emphasis: Hacia la fuente de la plaza camina. It sounds more formal/literary; the original order is the most neutral.
How do I make it clearly a statement about “he/she” or about a formal “you”?
Add a subject pronoun:
- Él/Ella camina hacia la fuente de la plaza.
- Usted camina hacia la fuente de la plaza.
Should plaza be capitalized?
Only if it’s part of a proper name: la Plaza Mayor, la Plaza de España. As a common noun (“the square”), it’s lowercase: la plaza.
If I want to stress reaching the fountain, which preposition is best?
Use hasta to highlight the endpoint: Camina hasta la fuente de la plaza (walk all the way up to the fountain). Using a also implies destination, but hasta makes the “up to” idea explicit.