Inklingo

How to Say "park" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word forparkis parqueuse 'parque' when referring to a public area with green spaces, like a place for recreation or relaxation..

English → Spanish

parque

/PAR-keh//ˈpaɾke/

nounA1general
Use 'parque' when referring to a public area with green spaces, like a place for recreation or relaxation.
A lush green park with tall trees, a bright blue sky, and a wooden bench resting on the grass.

Examples

Los niños juegan en el parque.

The children play in the park.

Vamos al parque a jugar al fútbol.

Let's go to the park to play soccer.

El Parque Nacional de Doñana es enorme.

Doñana National Park is enormous.

Hay muchos niños en el parque infantil.

There are many children in the playground (children's park).

Use of 'al'

When saying you are going 'to the park,' you combine 'a' (to) and 'el' (the) to form the required contraction 'al'.

Gender confusion

Mistake:La parque.

Correction: It is 'el parque' (masculine). Nouns ending in -e are often masculine in Spanish.

pare

PAH-reh/pa.ɾe/

verbA1general
Use 'pare' (from the verb 'parar') when instructing someone to stop or park a vehicle.
A storybook illustration showing a person standing on a road with their hand held up, palm facing forward, signaling a brightly colored car to halt its movement immediately.

Examples

Por favor, pare el coche aquí.

Please, park the car here.

Por favor, pare el coche frente al banco.

Please, stop the car in front of the bank.

Señorita, pare aquí, hemos llegado.

Miss, stop here, we have arrived.

Formal Command (Usted)

When you want to give a command formally (to someone you call 'Usted'), you use the same form as the 'él/ella/usted' version of the present subjunctive. This is why 'pare' is used here.

Using the wrong command form

Mistake:Using 'para' (the informal command) when speaking to a boss or elder: 'Jefe, para aquí.'

Correction: Use 'pare' for formal situations: 'Jefe, pare aquí.' The choice depends on your relationship with the person.

Confusing 'parque' and 'parar'

Learners often confuse the noun 'parque' (a place) with the verb 'parar' (to stop/park). Remember that 'parque' is a location, while 'parar' is an action. You go *to* a 'parque', but you *do* the action of 'parar' with a vehicle.

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