Spanish Phrase
Sigue todo recto y pasa por la iglesia vieja.
Meaning
The sentence gives two sequential directions: first, keep walking straight ahead; then, continue until you pass the old church. It’s a concise way to guide someone through a town or city center.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to give clear, step‑by‑step directions to a visitor, a tourist, or a friend who is unfamiliar with the area. It works well in both casual conversation and more formal travel‑guide contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Siguetodorectoypasaporlaiglesiavieja
Imperative (tú) – Sigue
‘Sigue’ is the informal tú imperative of the verb *seguir* (to follow/continue). It is formed by dropping the -r of the infinitive and adding -e.
Adverbial phrase – todo recto
‘Todo recto’ literally means ‘all straight’, but it is the common way to say ‘straight ahead’ in Spanish.
Conjunction – y
‘y’ simply links two commands, equivalent to ‘and’ in English.
Imperative (tú) – pasa
‘Pasa’ is the informal tú imperative of *pasar* (to pass/go by). Same formation rule as ‘sigue’.
Preposition – por
‘por’ indicates movement through or past a place. Here it means ‘by’ or ‘past’.
Noun + adjective order – la iglesia vieja
Descriptive adjectives often follow the noun in Spanish, so ‘vieja’ comes after ‘iglesia’.
🗨In Conversation
¿Cómo llego al museo?
How do I get to the museum?
Sigue todo recto y pasa por la iglesia vieja.
Go straight ahead and pass by the old church.
✕Common Mistakes
Sigue todo recta y pasa por la iglesia vieja.
‘Recto’ is an invariable adverb; it does not change to match gender.
Sigue todo recto y pase por la iglesia vieja.
‘Pase’ is the formal (usted) imperative; with a friend you’d use the informal ‘pasa’.
Sigue todo recto y pasa por la vieja iglesia.
While grammatically possible, native speakers usually place descriptive adjectives after the noun in this context.
↔Alternatives
Continúa recto y cruza la iglesia antigua.
Continue straight and cross the ancient church.
Ve directo y pasa por la vieja iglesia.
Go straight and go past the old church.
Sigue derecho hasta la iglesia vieja.
Go straight until you reach the old church.
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking towns the oldest church is a natural landmark, often located at the town’s historic centre. Locals will instantly recognise references to ‘la iglesia vieja’, making it a reliable point of reference for directions. Remember that adjectives like *vieja* usually follow the noun, unlike English where they precede it.