Going in and going out in Spanish: entrar y salir
Entrar (en)
To enter or go into a place in Spanish the verb "entrar" is used in Spanish. It's easy to remember since both the English and Spanish forms come from Latin.
The problem that students of Spanish encounter is that they forget to use the preposition "en" when mentioning the place. Here are some examples:
Spanish
1. Entramos pero sólo nos quedamos cinco minutos. (no "en")
2. Entramos en el restaurante pero sólo nos quedamos cinco minutos. (must use "en")
3. Entré en la tienda pero no había nadie. (must use "en")
4. Ella entró y terminó gastando todo su dinero. (no "en")
5. Ella entró en la tienda y terminó gastando todo su dinero. (must use "en")
English
1. We went in but we only stayed five minutes.
2. We went into the restaurant but we only stayed five minutes.
3. I went into the shop but no one was there.
4. She went in and ended up spending all of her money.
5. She went into the shop and ended up spending all of her money.
Salir (de)
To leave a place, "salir" is one of the verbs you can use. You can also use "irse", "dejar" and "abandonar", but I want to talk about "salir" today since it is possibly the most common verb to use.
Once again, the problem for students is a preposition (this time "de"), which must be used when you mention the place you are leaving. Examples:
Spanish
1. Salimos sobre las 8:00. (no "de")
2. Salimos de la fiesta sobre las 8:00. (must use "de")
3. Salieron del hotel y entraron en una cafetería. (must use "de")
4. Saldré cuando termine. (no "de")
5. Saldré de la oficina cuando termine. (must use "de")
English
1. We left about 8:00.
2. We left the party around 8:00.
3. They left the hotel and went into a cafe.
4. I'll leave when I finish.
5. I'll leave the office when I finish.
Brad
