Question 1

Why does this sentence use sigo sin cruzar (infinitive) instead of a gerund?

Accepted Answer

In Spanish, the verb seguir is usually followed by a gerund to show an ongoing action (e.g., sigo cruzando means "I keep crossing"). However, when you want to express the negative of this—that you continue not doing something, or still haven't done it—you must switch to the structure seguir sin + infinitive. A negative gerund (like "sigo no cruzando") is not used in Spanish.

Question 2

Could I just translate "I still haven't crossed" as todavía no he cruzado?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Todavía no he cruzado is very common and conveys the same general meaning. Choosing sigo sin cruzar just places a bit more emphasis on the continuous, ongoing nature of your waiting—it highlights the unbroken stretch of time you've spent not crossing.

Question 3

Why do we use por instead of para in por el tráfico?

Accepted Answer

You use por here because it indicates the cause or reason for a situation. In this sentence, it translates directly to "because of." If you used para, it would imply a goal, destination, or purpose, which doesn't make sense when you are simply delayed by traffic.

Question 4

Is intersección the most natural word for "intersection" in everyday speech?

Accepted Answer

While intersección is perfectly correct and widely understood (especially in traffic or driving contexts), everyday spoken Latin American Spanish also frequently uses el cruce (the crossing) or simply la esquina (the corner), depending on the exact layout of the streets.

Sigo sin cruzar la intersección por el tráfico.

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