Breakdown of En la residencia, los ancianos salen al jardín por la tarde.
en
in / on / by (means of transport) / about (after pensar)
el jardín
the garden
al
to the (m)
salir
to go out, to leave / to appear, to come out (on the body)
por
for / by / through / in (during a part of the day)
la tarde
the afternoon / the evening
anciano
elderly
la residencia
the nursing home, the care home
Questions & Answers about En la residencia, los ancianos salen al jardín por la tarde.
Does residencia always mean 'nursing home'?
In this context, yes. While it can mean a general 'residence,' in everyday Spanish (especially in Spain), residencia is the standard shorthand for residencia de ancianos (nursing home) or residencia de estudiantes (student dorms).
Why is the preposition a used in salen al jardín instead of en?
Is it offensive to use ancianos to mean 'the elderly'?
No, ancianos is a respectful and standard term for elderly people. It is much more polite than calling them viejos (old people), which can sound harsh or disrespectful.
Could I say en la tarde instead of por la tarde?
If you are focusing on the Spanish of Spain, you should stick to por la tarde. While en la tarde is perfectly correct and very common in Latin America, por is the standard preposition used in Spain for general times of the day like morning, afternoon, and night.
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