Spanish - Basic Location

Lesson 15 of 159

Student practicing Spanish location phrases on a map, learning how to ask ¿Dónde está...? and say Está aquí.

Goal: Ask and say where people and things are

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

Welcome! In this short lesson you'll practice simple Spanish questions and answers about location. Say the phrases aloud to build confidence — listening, repeating, and speaking helps a lot.

Level A1: This lesson focuses on basic location phrases like ¿Dónde está ___?, ¿Está aquí?, Está en ___, and Está al lado de ___. You'll practice asking where someone or something is, saying if it's here or over there, and giving short location answers. CEFR-aligned and friendly — a little Yak Yacker for your travel brain!

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Ask where one or more people or things are (A1).
  • Say that something is here, there, in a place, or next to something.
  • Use ¿Dónde estás? to ask where someone (younger/familiar) is and respond simply.
Two people in a park using simple Spanish location phrases to find a friend and a bag.

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.

¿Dónde está ___?

Where is ___?

Meaning: Where is ___?

When to use: Use to ask where a single person or thing is.

Tip: Beginners sometimes use 'están' for one person. Use 'está' for singular.

¿Dónde está María?
Where is María?
¿Dónde está mi pasaporte?
Where is my passport?

¿Dónde están ___?

Where are ___?

Meaning: Where are ___?

When to use: Ask about more than one person or thing (plural).

¿Dónde están los niños?
Where are the children?
¿Dónde están mis llaves y mi bolso?
Where are my keys and my bag?

¿Está ___ aquí?

Is ___ here?

Meaning: Is ___ here?

When to use: Ask if someone or something is present in the current place (here).

¿Está el conductor aquí?
Is the driver here?
¿Está la mesa aquí?
Is the table here?

___ está aquí.

___ is here.

Meaning: ___ is here.

When to use: Say that a person or thing is in the current place.

María está aquí.
María is here.
El taxi está aquí.
The taxi is here.

___ no está aquí.

___ is not here.

Meaning: ___ is not here.

When to use: Say that someone or something is absent from the current place.

Mi hermano no está aquí.
My brother is not here.
La carta no está aquí.
The letter is not here.

Está aquí.

It's here.

Meaning: It's here.

When to use: Point to or indicate something nearby.

¿Dónde está el mapa? — Está aquí.
Where is the map? — It's here.
La camiseta que buscas está aquí.
The shirt you're looking for is here.

Está allá.

It's over there.

Meaning: It's over there.

When to use: Point to a location away from the speaker.

Tip: Don't confuse 'allá' (over there) with 'aquí' (here).

¿Dónde está la estación? — Está allá.
Where is the station? — It's over there.
El restaurante está allá, cerca del parque.
The restaurant is over there, near the park.

Está en ___.

It's in ___.

Meaning: It's in ___.

When to use: Give a simple location like a room, city, or container.

El libro está en la mochila.
The book is in the backpack.
El cine está en la calle Mayor.
The cinema is on/at Mayor Street.

Está al lado de ___.

It's next to ___.

Meaning: It's next to ___.

When to use: Say something is beside another thing or place.

La farmacia está al lado de la panadería.
The pharmacy is next to the bakery.
Tu mochila está al lado de la puerta.
Your backpack is next to the door.

¿Dónde estás?

Where are you?

Meaning: Where are you?

When to use: Use informal 'tú' to ask someone (a friend) where they are.

Tip: Don't mix up '¿Dónde estás?' (tú) with '¿Dónde está usted?' (formal).

¿Dónde estás? — Estoy en la cafetería.
Where are you? — I'm in the cafe.
¿Dónde estás ahora? — En casa.
Where are you now? — At home.

¿___ está cerca de aquí?

Is ___ near here?

Meaning: Is ___ near here?

When to use: Ask if a known place or thing is nearby.

¿La estación está cerca de aquí?
Is the station near here?
¿El banco está cerca de aquí?
Is the bank near here?

___ está cerca de aquí.

___ is near here.

Meaning: ___ is near here.

When to use: Say that a known place or thing is nearby.

El supermercado está cerca de aquí.
The supermarket is near here.
La plaza está cerca de aquí.
The square is near here.

___ está en ___.

___ is on ___.

Meaning: ___ is on ___.

When to use: Say where something is using 'on' / 'in' / 'at' (use en for many simple contexts).

Tip: Remember: 'en' can mean 'in', 'on', or 'at' in many contexts; use 'sobre' or 'encima de' to stress 'on top of'.

El cuadro está en la pared.
The picture is on the wall.
El plato está en la mesa.
The plate is on the table.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Anna and David look for María and a bag at the café.

Anna and David ask and answer where someone is using short Spanish questions and statements about location.

What are Anna and David trying to find?

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

¿Dónde está María?

Where is María?

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

No lo sé. ¿Está aquí?

I don't know. Is she here?

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

No, ella no está aquí. ¿Dónde estás, María?

No, she is not here. Where are you, María?

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

Su bolso está al lado de la mesa.

Her bag is next to the table.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which Spanish phrase asks about one person's location?

How do you say 'It's over there' in Spanish?

Which sentence says 'The bank is near here'?

You want to say 'It's next to the door.' Which is correct?

The correct reply gives the street: 'It's on Real Street.'

— ¿Dónde está el restaurante? — ___.

Answer: 'It's next to the table.'

— ¿Está mi bolso aquí? — ___.

You answer with your location: 'I'm in the park.'

María llama: «¿Dónde estás?» — Yo respondo: ___.

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:

¿Dónde está ___?

Where is ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Dónde están ___?

Where are ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Está ___ aquí?

Is ___ here?

Say this phrase out loud:

___ está aquí.

___ is here.

Say this phrase out loud:

___ no está aquí.

___ is not here.

Say this phrase out loud:

Está aquí.

It's here.

Say this phrase out loud:

Está allá.

It's over there.

Say this phrase out loud:

Está en ___.

It's in ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Está al lado de ___.

It's next to ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Dónde estás?

Where are you?

Say this phrase out loud:

¿___ está cerca de aquí?

Is ___ near here?

Say this phrase out loud:

___ está cerca de aquí.

___ is near here.

Say this phrase out loud:

___ está en ___.

___ is on ___.