Breakdown of Voy a la frutería a comprar plátanos.
comprar
to buy
ir
to go
a
to
el plátano
the banana
la frutería
the greengrocer's
Questions & Answers about Voy a la frutería a comprar plátanos.
Why is there an "a" before "comprar"?
In Spanish, when you use a verb of motion like ir (to go) and follow it with an action, you must connect them with the preposition a. Even though comprar already means "to buy", the motion verb requires this connecting a.
Does the ending "-ería" in "frutería" always mean it is a shop?
Mostly, yes! Adding -ería to the end of a noun usually names the shop that sells that item. Here, fruta (fruit) becomes frutería (fruit shop). You will also see this in panadería (bakery) from pan (bread).
Why doesn't the sentence say "comprar unos plátanos"?
I learned that "plátano" means plantain. Is that wrong?
Not wrong, just regional! In Spain, plátano is the standard word for a regular, sweet banana. In many Latin American countries, plátano refers to a plantain (which needs cooking), and they use banana for the sweet fruit instead.
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