No bajes del bordillo hasta que el semáforo se ponga en verde.

the traffic light

Breakdown of No bajes del bordillo hasta que el semáforo se ponga en verde.

• no: not
• del: from the
• hasta que: until

Questions & Answers about No bajes del bordillo hasta que el semáforo se ponga en verde.

Why is it No bajes instead of No baja?

Because Spanish uses the present subjunctive for negative tú commands.

• baja = affirmative informal command: step down
• no bajes = negative informal command: don't step down

So even though the sentence is a command, the negative form changes:

• Baja del bordillo. = Step off the curb.
• No bajes del bordillo. = Don’t step off the curb.

This is a very common pattern in Spanish:

• Hazlo / No lo hagas
• Ven / No vengas
• Cruza / No cruces

Does bajar literally mean to go down, and is that what it means here?

Yes. Bajar basically means to go down, to come down, or to lower. In this sentence, though, it is being used in a very natural everyday way:

• bajar del bordillo = to step down/off the curb

So the idea is not just a general downward movement, but specifically stepping off the curb into the road.

What exactly does bordillo mean?