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Vamos a subir al metro ahora.

Vamos a subir al metro ahora.
We are going to get on the metro now.
From Lesson 70:Public Transport·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Vamos a subir al metro ahora.

How does Vamos a subir mean "We are going to get on"?
This uses a very common formula for talking about the future: the verb ir (to go) + a + an action verb. Here, vamos means "we are going", so vamos a subir means "we are going to get on".
Doesn't subir mean "to go up"?
Yes, its basic meaning is "to go up" or "to climb". However, in Spanish, subir is also the standard verb used for getting into or boarding a vehicle, like a bus, train, or the metro.
Why is there an al before metro?
al is a mandatory contraction of two words: the preposition a (to) and the article el (the). In Spanish, whenever a is followed right away by el, they must combine into al. You will never see a el written separately.
Why do we use a instead of en (on/in) for getting on the metro?
In English we "get on" or "get in" a vehicle, but in Spanish, the verb subir is almost always followed by the preposition a. You can think of it literally as "going up to" the metro.

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