Ambiguous location reference towards subject and object.
I've just struck a very simple sentence that in English is ambiguous as to whether the location mentioned refers to the subject's position, or the object's, or both, and I was wondering if the same were true in its Spanish alternative. The sentence is:
They are watching the storm outside.
In English this could mean they are inside watching the storm outside, or they are outside watching the storm. It could even mean they are outside watching some sort of storm inside, but ignoring that, either of the first two options could easily be interpreted from the English. Is the same true of the Spanish?
Están mirando la tormenta afuera.
Also in English if we wanted to remove doubt, we could restructure the sentence to:
They are outside watching the storm.
Would the same restructure be a good way to avoid ambiguity (if it exists) in the Spanish?
Están afuera mirando la tormenta.
1 Answer
If you're watching the storm and you are outside, you can use"
Están mirando la tormenta afuera. "afuera " has the connotation of "outside" If you want to make it stronger use "desde afuera." which translates to "from the outside."
Your last sentence is good as well. "Están afuera mirando la tormenta." (I just changed one word.)
