Answers
Jun 24, 2009 - 06:21 PM
I can see how it may be confusing, but believe it or not "derecho" may mean straight ahead in some contexts, but in others, it may mean on the right hand side.
Generally if you are talking about left vs right you will hear/see "izquierda/derecha," for example, "a la derecha/izquierda," or "a su derecha/izquierda," which would mean to the right/left, or on your right/left.
However, if they are being used as adjectives, you will see them with with the appropriate gender adjustments, so if we were to say on your right hand side, you would see "a su lado derecho" o for left "a su lado izquierdo."
So it is possible to hear "sigue derecho hasta el parque y el banco está a su lado derecho" which would mean "keep going straight ahead until the park and the bank as on your right hand side’. The difference is that in the first it is being used as an adverb, and the second it’s an adjective with different meanings.
Generally if you are talking about left vs right you will hear/see "izquierda/derecha," for example, "a la derecha/izquierda," or "a su derecha/izquierda," which would mean to the right/left, or on your right/left.
However, if they are being used as adjectives, you will see them with with the appropriate gender adjustments, so if we were to say on your right hand side, you would see "a su lado derecho" o for left "a su lado izquierdo."
So it is possible to hear "sigue derecho hasta el parque y el banco está a su lado derecho" which would mean "keep going straight ahead until the park and the bank as on your right hand side’. The difference is that in the first it is being used as an adverb, and the second it’s an adjective with different meanings.