Breakdown of Mi padre está de viaje por el trabajo.
de
from / of
estar
to be (location/state)
el padre
the father / the parents
mi
my
el trabajo
the work
el viaje
the trip
por
for / by / through / in/during (part of the day)
Questions & Answers about Mi padre está de viaje por el trabajo.
Why do we use está here instead of es if viaje is a noun?
We use está because estar de viaje is a fixed phrase describing a temporary state, meaning "to be traveling" or "to be away on a trip." Even though viaje is a noun, the phrase de viaje functions like an adjective describing your father's current status.
Could I say está en un viaje instead of está de viaje?
Why is it por el trabajo and not para el trabajo?
Why does trabajo have the article el here when English just says "for work"?
Spanish often uses definite articles for general concepts where English drops them. However, in this context, both por el trabajo and simply por trabajo are perfectly correct and commonly used by native speakers. Adding el just sounds slightly more specific to his actual job.
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