Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): De vez en cuando vamos al bar de la esquina después del trabajo. - From time to time we go to the bar on the corner after work.

de vez en cuando = “every now and then,” tends to feel less frequent or more occasional.
a veces = “sometimes,” neutral in frequency. They often overlap, but if you want “once in a while,” pick de vez en cuando.

Can I move de vez en cuando to another place in the sentence? Do I need a comma?

Yes. Common options:

De vez en cuando, vamos... (fronted; comma optional but common)
Vamos de vez en cuando al bar...
Vamos al bar... de vez en cuando. All are correct; placement changes emphasis, not meaning.

Why is it al and del, not a el and de el?

Because Spanish contracts:

a + el = al → vamos al bar
de + el = del → después del trabajo No contraction with the pronoun él (e.g., a él) or with proper names like El Salvador: Voy a El Salvador.

Why use vamos (present) and not vamos a ir or iremos?

The simple present in Spanish expresses habitual actions: vamos = “we (usually) go.”

vamos a ir = “we’re going to go” (near future plan)
iremos = “we will go” (future)
To stress habit, you can also say Solemos ir al bar... (“We usually go...”)

Why el bar and not un bar?

El bar de la esquina is a specific, known place (“the bar on the corner”).
Un bar would be “a bar,” non-specific. If you say un bar de la esquina, it sounds like “a bar that’s on a corner,” not a particular default “local.”

In Spain, what is a bar like?

A Spanish bar is a catch‑all local spot: coffee and toast in the morning, set lunches, beer/wine, snacks (tapas/pinchos). It’s not just an alcohol-only venue; it’s closer to a neighborhood café-pub.

Why is it a before a place (al bar) and not en?

With movement verbs like ir, use a (“to”): Vamos al bar.
Use en to mean “in/at”: Estamos en el bar.

What’s the difference between bar de la esquina and bar en la esquina?

bar de la esquina is the idiomatic, classifier-like label: “the corner bar” (the local one).
bar en la esquina literally places it “on the corner” (more descriptive). Both are possible, but the set phrase for “the corner bar” is bar de la esquina.

How does después de work? Can I say después trabajar or después el trabajo?

Use después de + noun/infinitive:

después del trabajo (noun with article; note de + el = del)
después de trabajar (infinitive) Not: ✗ después trabajar or ✗ después el trabajo.

Is tras el trabajo or después de trabajar okay? Any nuance?

Yes:

después del trabajo ≈ “after work” (nouny, slightly more fixed-phrase feel)
después de trabajar = “after working” (verb form; very natural)
tras el trabajo = “after work” (a bit more formal/literary in tone, but common in Spain)

Do I need to say nosotros?

No. Spanish normally drops subject pronouns: vamos already means “we go.”
Use nosotros/nosotras for emphasis or contrast: Nosotros vamos, ellos no.

Why does después have an accent, but cuando doesn’t here?

después is stressed on the last syllable, so it takes an accent.
cuando has no accent because it’s not interrogative/exclamative here. Only cuándo (with accent) is used in direct/indirect questions or exclamations.

How do I pronounce tricky parts (Spain)?

vez: /beθ/ (the z is “th” in most of Spain)
esquina: /esˈkina/ (qu = “k”)
trabajo: /tɾaˈβaxo/ (j = a throaty “kh”)
vamos: initial v/b sounds like a soft “b”
Linking: al bar and del trabajo flow as one unit.

Is the order “place before time” required? Could I say the time first?

Spanish is flexible. Your sentence has place then time, which is very common.
You can also front the time: Después del trabajo, vamos al bar de la esquina.

Can I shorten al bar de la esquina to al de la esquina?

Yes. Vamos al de la esquina = “We go to the one on the corner.” The noun (bar) is understood from context.

Is esquina the same as rincón?

No:

esquina = a corner of streets/buildings (outside corner).
rincón = a corner/inside nook of a room or enclosed space.

Is cada dos por tres a synonym of de vez en cuando?

No. cada dos por tres means “all the time/very often.” It’s the opposite of de vez en cuando.

Does vamos ever mean “Let’s go”?

Yes. ¡Vamos! can be “Let’s go!” (encouragement). As a command for leaving, you often hear ¡Vámonos! In your sentence without exclamation/context, vamos is just the present “we go.”