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"La pista" is a form of "pista", a noun which is often translated as "road". "La vía" is a form of "vía", a noun which is often translated as "route". Learn more about the difference between "la pista" and "la vía" below.
la pista(
pees
-
tah
)A feminine noun is almost always used with feminine articles and adjectives (e.g., la mujer bonita, la luna llena).
a. road
Había huellas de neumáticos en la pista que bajaba de la montaña.There were tire marks on the road that led down the mountain.
2. (trace)
a. trail
Sus perros solo pudieron seguir su pista hasta la frontera con México.Their dogs were only able to follow the trail as far as the Mexican border.
3. (hint)
a. clue
El inspector encontró una pista en la escena del crimen.The inspector found a clue at the crime scene.
la vía(
bee
-
ah
)A feminine noun is almost always used with feminine articles and adjectives (e.g., la mujer bonita, la luna llena).
2. (street)
a. road
Abrieron una vía nueva para llegar al centro de la ciudad.They opened a new road to get to the center of the city.
3. (procedure)
a. channel
Encontramos la evidencia por vía oficial.We found the evidence through official channels.
A preposition is a word that indicates the relationship between a noun and another word (e.g., He ran through the door.).
a. via
Tenemos que enviar todos los documentos vía correo electrónico.We have to send all documents via email.