Learn Spanish (Spain): ¿Cuándo vamos a la playa? - When are we going to the beach?

In Spanish, the subject pronoun nosotros (we) is usually left out because the verb form already tells you who is doing the action. Vamos specifically means "we go" or "we are going", so you don't need to say nosotros vamos unless you want to add special emphasis.

Why does this translate to "are we going" instead of "do we go"?

The Spanish present tense (vamos) can translate to both the simple present ("we go") and the present continuous ("we are going") in English. Because of this, ¿Cuándo vamos a la playa? works perfectly for asking about our future plans ("When are we going?") as well as routine habits ("When do we go?").

Why is there an "a" after "vamos"?

The verb ir (to go) is almost always followed by the preposition a (to) when you are talking about moving toward a destination. So, vamos a literally means "we are going to".

Why is it "a la playa" and not just "a playa"?

In Spanish, you usually need the definite article—like la or el (the)—when talking about going to specific places. Since playa (beach) is a feminine noun, we use la, making it a la playa (to the beach).

Why does "Cuándo" have an accent mark over the 'a'?