Learn Spanish (Latin America): Lo bueno es que andan vendiendo baratijas usadas. - The good thing is that they are going around selling used trinkets.

Lo bueno es que andan vendiendo baratijas usadas.

The good thing is that they are going around selling used trinkets.

Breakdown of Lo bueno es que andan vendiendo baratijas usadas.

Questions & Answers about Lo bueno es que andan vendiendo baratijas usadas.

Why use andan vendiendo instead of están vendiendo?

Using andar + a gerund (like vendiendo) shows that an action is happening repeatedly, casually, or while moving from place to place. While están vendiendo just states the fact 'they are selling', andan vendiendo gives the specific feeling of 'they are going around selling'.

Why is it lo bueno instead of el bueno?

Lo is a neuter article. When you combine lo with a masculine singular adjective, it translates to 'the [adjective] thing'. So, lo bueno means 'the good thing'. If you used el bueno, you would be talking about a specific masculine noun, like 'the good guy' or 'the good one'.

Does the word baratijas come from barato (cheap)?

Exactly! Barato means cheap, and adding the suffix -ija (which often implies something small or of low value) gives us baratija, meaning a cheap trinket, knick-knack, or piece of junk. Since they are selling multiple trinkets, it becomes plural: baratijas.

Does andan vendiendo mean they are literally walking around on foot?

Very likely in this context! Andar literally means 'to walk' or 'to move about'. However, this grammar structure (andar + gerund) can also be used figuratively to mean someone makes a habit of something or is 'going around' doing something, even if they are driving, sitting at a desk, or just doing it repeatedly over time.