Breakdown of Después de la clase, vamos al café.
de
from / of
el café
the coffee
ir
to go
al
to the
la clase
the class
después
after / afterwards
Questions & Answers about Después de la clase, vamos al café.
Why do we need de in después de? Can't I just say después la clase?
Why is there a la before clase? English just says "after class".
Spanish uses definite articles (el, la, los, las) more often than English. When talking about general institutions, routines, or specific events like school, work, or class, Spanish usually requires the article. So, "after class" becomes después de la clase.
Does vamos mean "we go" or "we are going"?
It can mean both! The present tense in Spanish is very flexible. Depending on the context, vamos can mean "we go" (as a routine), "we are going" (right now), or even "we will go" (in the near future). Here, it translates best to "we are going" as a plan for right after class.
I see al café. Why isn't it a el café?
In Spanish, whenever the preposition a (to) is followed directly by the masculine article el (the), they must combine to form the contraction al. Saying a el is incorrect. This combination only happens with el, so you don't do it with la, los, or las.
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