Después de la escuela, siempre compartimos la merienda en la cocina.

Because después normally needs de before a noun.

• después = afterward / later
• después de + noun = after + noun

So:

• después = afterward
• después de la escuela = after school

This is a very common pattern in Spanish:

• después de comer = after eating
• después de clase = after class
• después del trabajo = after work

Spanish often uses the article where English does not.

So even though English says after school, Spanish usually says:

• después de la escuela
• or very commonly in Spain, después del colegio

This is normal. English often drops the article in expressions like at school, after school, in bed, but Spanish usually keeps it:

• en la escuela / en el colegio
• después de la escuela / del colegio

In Spain, colegio is often more natural for school, especially for younger students. Escuela is correct, but depending on the context, many Spaniards might more naturally say:

• Después del colegio, siempre compartimos la merienda en la cocina.

A few notes:

• colegio often refers to primary school or school in general
• instituto is commonly used for secondary school / high school
• escuela is still perfectly understandable and correct, but sometimes sounds a bit more general

So the sentence is fine, but colegio may sound more Spain-like in many everyday situations.

Because Spanish often leaves out subject pronouns when the verb already makes the subject clear.

Compartimos already tells you the subject is we:

• comparto = I share
• compartes = you share
• comparte = he/she shares
• compartimos = we share

So nosotros compartimos is possible, but it is not necessary. Spanish usually prefers:

• Siempre compartimos la merienda

You would add nosotros only for emphasis, contrast, or clarity.

It is the present indicative, first person plural.

The infinitive is compartir. Its present tense forms include:

• yo comparto
• tú compartes
• él/ella comparte
• nosotros compartimos

Here, compartimos means we share or we have/share regularly. Because the sentence includes siempre, it clearly describes a habitual action:

• siempre compartimos = we always share

So this is the Spanish equivalent of an English habitual present, like we always share.

That is a very common position for adverbs like siempre in Spanish.

• siempre compartimos la merienda = the most neutral, natural order
• compartimos siempre la merienda = also possible, but less neutral in many contexts

Spanish word order is more flexible than English, but adverbs like siempre, nunca, and a veces are often placed before the verb:

• Siempre desayuno temprano
• Nunca come carne

So siempre compartimos sounds perfectly natural.

La merienda is more than just a generic snack. In Spain, it usually refers to a light meal or snack eaten in the late afternoon, especially by children but also by adults.

Typical examples might include:

• bread with chocolate
• fruit
• a sandwich
• yogurt
• pastries

So while snack is a good translation, merienda has a specific cultural feel in Spain. It often suggests a regular afternoon eating time, not just random snacking.

Spanish uses articles more often than English, especially with common nouns.

So compartimos la merienda sounds natural because it refers to the afternoon snack / our snack as a known, regular thing.

Without the article, compartimos merienda, it would sound less standard in most contexts.

This is similar to how Spanish often says:

• me duele la cabeza = my head hurts
• voy al trabajo = I’m going to work
• está en la cocina = he/she is in the kitchen

Even when English uses no article or a possessive, Spanish often prefers a definite article.

Because en is used for location, while a is usually used for movement toward a place.

• en la cocina = in the kitchen
• a la cocina = to the kitchen

In this sentence, the action happens in that location, so en is correct:

• compartimos la merienda en la cocina = we share the afternoon snack in the kitchen

If you wanted to express movement, then a would make sense:

• Vamos a la cocina = We go to the kitchen

Yes. Depending on the situation, a Spaniard might say things like:

• Después del colegio, siempre compartimos la merienda en la cocina.
• Después de clase, siempre merendamos en la cocina.
• Al salir del colegio, siempre merendamos en la cocina.

A useful point here is that merendar means to have an afternoon snack. So instead of compartimos la merienda, many speakers might simply say:

• siempre merendamos en la cocina

That can sound more natural if the idea is simply we always have our afternoon snack in the kitchen.
Compartimos la merienda adds more of a sense of sharing it together.

It can suggest either, depending on context.

Most literally, compartir means to share, so:

• compartimos la merienda can mean we share the snack

But in real life, it may also imply a broader idea of enjoying that snack time together.

If you want to focus only on the act of eating the afternoon snack, merendamos is often more direct:

• siempre merendamos en la cocina = we always have our afternoon snack in the kitchen

If you want to emphasize togetherness or sharing, compartimos la merienda works well.

Not always. In Spanish, a short introductory phrase like Después de la escuela may appear with or without a comma.

So both are possible:

• Después de la escuela, siempre compartimos la merienda en la cocina.
• Después de la escuela siempre compartimos la merienda en la cocina.

The comma can make the sentence easier to read and gives a slight pause, but many writers would omit it in a short sentence like this. Both versions are acceptable.