Breakdown of ¿Cuánto tardas en ir a la papelería?
en
in / on / by (means of transport) / about (after pensar)
cuánto
how much
ir
to go
a
to
tardar
to take (time)
la papelería
the stationery shop
Questions & Answers about ¿Cuánto tardas en ir a la papelería?
Why does it use tardas (you take) when the English translation says 'does it take you'?
In English, we use the impersonal 'it takes' plus an object pronoun ('you'). But in Spanish, the verb tardar (to take time) is conjugated to match the person who is taking the time. Since we are asking how long 'you' take, we use the informal 'you' form, tardas. If we were asking how long 'I' take, it would be tardo.
Why is the preposition en used before ir?
The verb tardar is almost always followed by the preposition en when you want to say that it takes time to do something. The formula is tardar en plus an infinitive verb (like ir). You cannot just put the two verbs together without en here.
The translation says 'get to', but the Spanish uses ir (to go). Could I use llegar (to arrive or get to) instead?
Is a papelería a paper factory?
No, a papelería is a stationery shop. The ending -ería is very commonly used in Spanish to indicate a shop or store (like panadería for bakery, or carnicería for butcher). So papelería literally means the 'paper shop', where you buy notebooks, pens, and school supplies.
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