Voy al mostrador del hotel para confirmar la reserva.

I

Breakdown of Voy al mostrador del hotel para confirmar la reserva.

• para: to
• ir: to go
• al: to the

Questions & Answers about Voy al mostrador del hotel para confirmar la reserva.

Why is it voy and not yo voy?

Voy already means I go or I am going, because the ending -oy tells you it is first person singular.

In Spanish, subject pronouns like yo are often omitted because the verb form already shows who the subject is. So:

• Voy al mostrador... = I’m going to the counter...
• Yo voy al mostrador... = also correct, but more emphatic, like I’m the one going...

Most of the time, voy by itself is the natural choice.

Why does voy mean both I go and I am going?

Spanish often uses the present tense for both a general present and something happening now or in the immediate future.

So voy al mostrador can mean:

• I go to the counter
• I’m going to the counter
• even I’m going to the counter now

In this sentence, the most natural English translation is usually I’m going to the hotel counter to confirm the reservation.

English uses am going a lot where Spanish simply uses the present tense.

Why is it al instead of a el?