Hello, I came across this statement in a quiz:
Pablo y Pedro ________ por el parque todas las tardes. (Answer: corren)
I was a little surprised that we say "por el parque" instead of "en" el parque. I'm starting to think that "en" is only used with verbs of location but not with verbs of movement.
Yet we say "Los niños juegan en el parque" which could involve lots of running around, but they are still staying in one place.
I would appreciate your clarification. Thanks.
Hola Marcos R.
In Spanish, both en and por can be used with movement, but they express different perspectives.
en el parque focuses on location or setting: the action happens in the park.
por el parque emphasizes movement through or around a space: the park is seen as a route or area being traversed.
So in your examples:
That’s why your observation is insightful: both sentences can involve movement, but en presents the place as a static location, while por highlights movement within that space.
So rather than a strict rule about verbs of movement, it’s more useful to think of:
en = where something happens
por = movement through/within a place
I hope this helps clarify things.
Hasta pronto,
Silvia
Don't have an account yet? Join today
And get your personalised Study Plan to improve it
Find your Spanish level