Learn Spanish (Latin America): Hay un desvío larguísimo por el centro. - There is an extremely long detour through downtown.

Hay un desvío larguísimo por el centro.

There is an extremely long detour through downtown.

Breakdown of Hay un desvío larguísimo por el centro.

to be (there is / there are)

el centro

downtown

Questions & Answers about Hay un desvío larguísimo por el centro.

Why does largo change to larguísimo instead of "largísimo"?

When adding the suffix -ísimo (which means "extremely"), adjectives ending in -go change to -gu- to keep the hard "g" sound. Also, don't forget the classic false friend: largo means "long," not "large" (which is grande).

Why do we use por instead of para here?

We use por to express movement through, along, or around a physical space. Because the detour routes traffic through the center of town, por is the exact right choice. If you used para el centro, it would mean the detour's final destination was downtown.

Where does the word desvío come from?

It comes from the verb desviar, which means "to divert" or "to deflect." Recognizing verb-noun pairs like desviar and un desvío (a detour or diversion) is a great way to rapidly expand your B2 vocabulary.

Does centro always translate to "downtown"?

In the context of a city or town, el centro almost always refers to "downtown" or the "city center." In other contexts, it simply means the middle or center of something (like a room, a circle, or an issue).