Spanish - Asking Directions

Lesson 106 of 159

A learner asking for directions in Spanish on a city street, learning common phrases for asking where places are.

Goal: Polite questions and short directions for getting around

Free Spanish lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Ready to ask for directions with confidence? This lesson helps you politely ask where places are and understand short guiding phrases. Have fun — practice by listening, repeating, then trying the short exercises.

Level A1: In this lesson you'll learn common Spanish phrases for asking where places are and for giving simple directions (e.g., "Sigue derecho", "Da vuelta a la izquierda"). This CEFR-aligned practice focuses on polite questions and short responses you can use right away in street conversations.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Ask politely where a place is and how to get there (A1)
  • Understand short directional replies: straight, left, right, on the left/right
  • Practice speaking the phrases aloud so they feel natural
A friendly scene of two people on a corner practicing simple Spanish phrases to ask how to get to a museum and a station.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

Disculpa, ¿dónde está ___?

Excuse me, where is ___?

Meaning: Disculpa, ¿dónde está ___?

When to use: Use this to politely ask someone where a place is (fill the blank with the place).

Disculpa, ¿dónde está la estación?
Excuse me, where is the station?
Disculpa, ¿dónde está el banco?
Excuse me, where is the bank?

¿Cómo llego a ___?

How do I get to ___?

Meaning: ¿Cómo llego a ___?

When to use: Ask this when you want instructions on how to reach a place.

¿Cómo llego al museo?
How do I get to the museum?
¿Cómo llego al aeropuerto?
How do I get to the airport?

¿Está cerca de aquí?

Is it near here?

Meaning: ¿Está cerca de aquí?

When to use: Use this to ask whether a place is nearby.

¿Está cerca de aquí la biblioteca?
Is the library close to here?
¿Está cerca de aquí el parque?
Is the park near here?

¿Está lejos de aquí?

Is it far from here?

Meaning: ¿Está lejos de aquí?

When to use: Ask this when you think a place might be far away.

¿Está lejos de aquí el hospital?
Is the hospital far from here?
¿Está lejos de aquí la universidad?
Is the university far from here?

Sigue derecho.

Go straight.

Meaning: Sigue derecho.

When to use: Give this simple instruction when someone should keep going straight.

Sigue derecho dos cuadras y verás la plaza.
Go straight two blocks and you'll see the square.
Desde aquí, sigue derecho hasta el semáforo.
From here, go straight to the traffic light.

Da vuelta a la izquierda.

Turn left.

Meaning: Da vuelta a la izquierda.

When to use: Use this to tell someone to turn left.

Tip: Beginners sometimes say 'girar' incorrectly as 'gira' for formal instruction; here, 'da vuelta' is natural.

En la esquina, da vuelta a la izquierda.
At the corner, turn left.
Da vuelta a la izquierda y continúa una cuadra.
Turn left and continue one block.

Da vuelta a la derecha.

Turn right.

Meaning: Da vuelta a la derecha.

When to use: Use this to tell someone to turn right.

Da vuelta a la derecha después de la tienda.
Turn right after the store.
Si quieres llegar rápido, da vuelta a la derecha ahora.
If you want to get there fast, turn right now.

Está del lado izquierdo.

It's on the left.

Meaning: Está del lado izquierdo.

When to use: Say this to show a place is on the left side.

La librería está del lado izquierdo de la calle.
The bookstore is on the left side of the street.
El café está del lado izquierdo, junto a la panadería.
The café is on the left side, next to the bakery.

Está del lado derecho.

It's on the right.

Meaning: Está del lado derecho.

When to use: Use this to indicate a place is on the right side.

El banco está del lado derecho, frente al parque.
The bank is on the right side, facing the park.
Toma la avenida y el restaurante está del lado derecho.
Take the avenue and the restaurant is on the right side.

¿Me puede decir cómo llegar a ___?

Can you tell me the way to ___?

Meaning: ¿Me puede decir cómo llegar a ___?

When to use: A polite way to ask a stranger for directions (uses usted).

¿Me puede decir cómo llegar al museo, por favor?
Can you tell me how to get to the museum, please?
Disculpe, ¿me puede decir cómo llegar a la estación?
Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to the station?

¿Por aquí se va a ___?

Is this the way to ___?

Meaning: ¿Por aquí se va a ___?

When to use: Ask this when you want to check if you are on the right path to a place.

¿Por aquí se va al centro comercial?
Is this the way to the shopping center?
Perdón, ¿por aquí se va al parque?
Excuse me, is this the way to the park?

¿Para dónde queda ___?

Which way is ___?

Meaning: ¿Para dónde queda ___?

When to use: Natural to ask which direction a place is located (very common in Mexico).

¿Para dónde queda la plaza principal?
Which way is the main square?
¿Para dónde queda la estación de autobuses?
Which way is the bus station?

¿Sigo derecho?

Do I go straight?

Meaning: ¿Sigo derecho?

When to use: Ask this when you want to confirm you should keep going straight.

Tip: Don’t confuse with 'sigue derecho' (instruction) — this form is a question asking for confirmation.

Perdona, ¿sigo derecho hasta la plaza?
Excuse me, do I keep going straight to the square?
¿Sigo derecho o giro aquí?
Do I go straight or turn here?

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Anna is looking for the museum. She asks a passerby for help.

Anna and David talking in Spanish on a busy street while using short direction phrases like 'Sigue derecho' and 'Da vuelta a la izquierda'.

What is Anna asking about?

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

Disculpa, ¿dónde está el museo?

Excuse me, where is the museum?

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

¿Me puede decir cómo llegar a el museo?

Can you tell me how to get to the museum?

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

¿Está cerca de aquí?

Is it near here?

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

Sigue derecho y da vuelta a la izquierda en la segunda calle.

Go straight and turn left at the second street.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which Spanish phrase politely asks 'Can you tell me how to get to ___?'

Which phrase means 'Go straight'?

How do you ask 'Is it far from here?' in Spanish?

Which question means 'Do I go straight?'

Anna: 'Do I go straight?' David: 'Go straight.'

Anna: ¿Sigo derecho? David: "___"

Excuse me, which way is the bookstore? — "It's on the left side."

Perdón, ¿por dónde queda la librería? — "___"

Anna is at the corner and wants to confirm if she should go straight. She asks: 'Do I go straight?'

Anna está en la esquina y quiere confirmar si debe seguir recto. Ella pregunta: "___"

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

Disculpa, ¿dónde está ___?

Excuse me, where is ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Cómo llego a ___?

How do I get to ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Está cerca de aquí?

Is it near here?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Está lejos de aquí?

Is it far from here?

Say this phrase out loud:

Sigue derecho.

Go straight.

Say this phrase out loud:

Da vuelta a la izquierda.

Turn left.

Say this phrase out loud:

Da vuelta a la derecha.

Turn right.

Say this phrase out loud:

Está del lado izquierdo.

It's on the left side.

Say this phrase out loud:

Está del lado derecho.

It's on the right side.

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Me puede decir cómo llegar a ___?

Can you tell me how to get to ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Por aquí se va a ___?

Is this the way to ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Para dónde queda ___?

Which way is ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Sigo derecho?

Do I go straight?