Breakdown of По выходным они гуляют по торговым центрам.
они
they
центр
center
гулять
to walk
выходные
weekend
Questions & Answers about По выходным они гуляют по торговым центрам.
Why is по used twice here, and does it mean the same thing?
It is used for two different reasons, but both require the Dative plural case. In по выходным, it shows a temporal routine meaning 'on weekends' or 'every weekend'. In по торговым центрам, it shows movement spread out over an area, meaning 'around' or 'through' the shopping centers.
Why do выходным and торговым end in -ым but центрам ends in -ам, if they are all in the Dative plural?
Adjectives and nouns have different endings in the Dative plural. Nouns like центр take -ам (or -ям). Adjectives like торговый take -ым (or -им). The word выходной is technically an adjective acting as a noun, so it takes the adjective ending -ым.
If I want to talk about just one weekend, not a routine, do I still use по выходным?
No, по выходным specifically implies a repeated routine. If you are talking about a single, specific weekend, you would usually use в выходные (Accusative case) or sometimes на выходных (Prepositional case).
Does гулять по торговым центрам mean they are shopping?