No hay rastros; nadie caminó por aquí.

Questions & Answers about No hay rastros; nadie caminó por aquí.

Why isn't there a no before caminó? I thought Spanish used double negatives.
Spanish does use double negatives, but it depends on word order! Because nadie (nobody) comes before the verb caminó, you don't use a no. If you wanted to put nadie after the verb, you would need the double negative: no caminó nadie por aquí.
Which verb form do we use with nadie?
You treat nadie like a singular he, she, or it. That is why the sentence uses caminó (the he/she past tense form of caminar), even though 'nobody' means zero people.
Why does the sentence say por aquí instead of just aquí?
While aquí means exactly 'here' in a specific spot, adding por changes the meaning to 'around here' or 'through this area'. Nadie caminó por aquí means nobody walked through this general location.
What exactly are rastros in this context?
Rastros translates to 'traces', but when talking about someone walking in an area, it often means 'tracks' or 'footprints'. The phrase no hay rastros means there are no physical signs that anyone was there.

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