al cruzar la calle
/al kɾuθaɾ la kaʝe/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase for "across the street" is al cruzar la calle.
While English uses "across the street" as a prepositional phrase of location, the Spanish form al cruzar la calle functions as a temporal/locational phrase meaning "once you cross the street".
Is it said differently in some regions?
The phrase Al otro lado de la vía is a regional variation used in certain Spanish-speaking regions to mean "across the street".
How do you pronounce it?
/al kɾuθaɾ la kaʝe/
Did you know?
- The verb cruzar shares a root with the word cruz, meaning 'cross'. This makes the act of crossing a street literally the act of making a cross with your path.
- The verb cruzar is used for more than physical movement, such as a romantic 'crossing of paths' or a specific 'cross-over' maneuver in sports.
- While calle is the standard word for 'street', in some regions vía is preferred. Using vía can imply a larger thoroughfare or a specific transit route rather than a residential road.
Examples in context
- Hay un hotel al cruzar la calle.There's a hotel across the street.This sentence is useful for describing the location of a hotel using al cruzar la calle.Tatoeba #1204752 by Shishir, translation #44989 by CK
- Hay una iglesia al cruzar la calle.There is a church across the street.This sentence is useful for describing the location of a church using al cruzar la calle.Tatoeba #1318515 by Shishir, translation #278357 by CC
- La tienda está al otro lado de la calle.The store is across the street.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and María are walking in a busy city.
- MateoMaría, ¿podemos pasar al otro lado?María, can we go to the other side?
- MaríaSí, pero ten cuidado al cruzar la calle.Yes, but be careful when crossing the street.
- MateoVale, esperaré a que pare el tráfico.Okay, I will wait for the traffic to stop.
- MaríaEs mejor así, Mateo.That is better this way, Mateo.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries calle, cruzar, la, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
