Learn Spanish (Latin America): Después de la clase, vamos al café.

Después de la clase, vamos al café.

After class, we go to the café.

Breakdown of Después de la clase, vamos al café.

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?

When you want to say "after [something]", you must use the phrase después de. If you just use después by itself, it means "afterwards" or "later", like in the sentence Vamos después (We will go later).

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?