Learn Spanish (Spain): Ellos caminan por los callejones oscuros.

Ellos caminan por los callejones oscuros.

They walk through the dark alleys.

Breakdown of Ellos caminan por los callejones oscuros.

for / by / through / in (during a part of the day)

Questions & Answers about Ellos caminan por los callejones oscuros.

Why do we use por in this sentence instead of a or en?

We use por here to show movement through or along a space. If we used a, it would mean they are walking to the alleys as a destination. While en means being inside a stationary place, using por with a verb of motion like caminar specifically emphasizes the journey passing through the area.

I learned that the word for alley is callejón. Why doesn't callejones have an accent mark?

This is a common spelling change! Singular words ending in -ón (like callejón or estación) have an accent mark to show stress on the last syllable. When you make them plural by adding -es, the stress naturally falls on the second-to-last syllable, so the written accent is no longer needed.

Could I say Ellos andan por los callejones oscuros instead?

Yes, andar and caminar are very similar and often interchangeable in Spain. Caminar specifically focuses on the physical action of walking, whereas andar is slightly more general and can mean to walk, move, or go. In this context, both work perfectly for walking through the alleys.

Why does oscuros come after callejones?