Questions & Answers about Mi madre va al teatro.
Why is the word al used here instead of just a?
In this sentence, al means "to the". It is a mandatory contraction of the preposition a (to) and the masculine word for "the", which is el (because teatro is masculine). In Spanish, whenever a and el are next to each other, they must mash together to form al.
What if she was going to a feminine place, like the beach (la playa)? Would a and la combine too?
No, only a and el combine. If she were going to a feminine place like the beach, you would say Mi madre va a la playa. The words a and la always stay separate.
Why is the verb form va used?
va is the "he/she/it/you (formal)" form of the highly irregular verb ir (to go). Because the subject of the sentence is Mi madre (My mother, which is "she"), we use va.
Can this sentence also mean "My mother is going to the theater" right now?
Yes! In Spanish, the simple present tense covers both general habits and things happening right now. Depending on the context, Mi madre va al teatro can mean she goes to the theater as a hobby, or that she is on her way there at this very moment.