Breakdown of Ellos van al museo nuevo.
ellos
they (m)
nuevo
new / another, different (before the noun)
el museo
the museum
ir
to go
al
to the (m)
Questions & Answers about Ellos van al museo nuevo.
Where does the word al come from?
The word al (to the) is a mandatory contraction. When the preposition a (to) is followed directly by the masculine singular article el (the), they combine to form al. You will never see a el written separately in Spanish.
Why do we use al instead of a la here?
The word for museum is el museo, which is masculine. The contraction al is only used for masculine nouns. If they were going to a feminine place, like the beach (la playa), it would stay as two separate words: a la playa.
Why is the word order museo nuevo instead of nuevo museo?
In Spanish, adjectives that describe a noun usually come directly after it. Since nuevo (new) describes the museo (museum), it follows the noun.
Does van mean "they go" or "they are going"?
It can mean both! The simple present tense in Spanish covers both general habits ("they go") and actions happening right now ("they are going").
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