Aprender a conducir de noche también fue un reto para mi prima.

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Breakdown of Aprender a conducir de noche también fue un reto para mi prima.

• ser: to be
• la noche: the night
• mi: my

Questions & Answers about Aprender a conducir de noche también fue un reto para mi prima.

Why is aprender in the infinitive instead of being conjugated?

Because the whole phrase Aprender a conducir de noche functions as the subject of the sentence.

In English, we do something similar with Learning to drive at night. In Spanish, an infinitive can act like a noun or noun phrase, so aprender here means learning.

That is also why the verb later is singular: fue. The whole action is treated as one single thing.

Why do we say aprender a conducir and not just aprender conducir?

After aprender, Spanish normally uses a + infinitive when you mean learn to do something.

So:

• aprender a conducir = to learn to drive
• aprender a nadar = to learn to swim
• aprender a cocinar = to learn to cook

The a is the normal pattern here.

What does conducir mean here? Is it the usual word for to drive in Spain?

Yes. In Spain, conducir is the standard and very natural verb for to drive a vehicle.

So:

• conducir un coche = to drive a car

You may also hear manejar in many Latin American countries, but in Spain conducir is the usual choice.

Why does it say de noche? Could it also be por la noche?