When visiting a Spanish-speaking country or neighborhood, chances are you’ll need to ask for directions in Spanish to get around. Learning direction words in Spanish (and understanding the response) will help you see new places.
Read on to learn basic Spanish direction words and common landmarks to prepare for your next trip. To make your visit even better, learn more Spanish vocabulary to enhance your conversational skills. Don’t forget to incorporate plenty of practice – one of our best tips on how to learn Spanish.
Let’s get to it.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Disculpe (formal) | Excuse me |
| Disculpa (informal) | Excuse me |
| ¿Dónde está…? | Where is …? |
| ¿Cómo llego…? | How do I get to …? |
| ¿Qué tan lejos está…? | How far is…? |
| Buscar | To look for |
| Estoy perdido/a | I’m lost |
| Derecha | Right |
| Izquierda | Left |
| Derecho, recto | Straight ahead |
| Norte | North |
| Sur | South |
| Este | East |
| Oeste | West |
| Girar, doblar | To turn |
| Cuadra | Block (of a street) |
| Calle | Street |
| Callejón | Alley |
| Avenida | Avenue |
| Bulevar | Boulevard |
| Carretera | Highway, road |
| Semáforo | Streetlight |
| Enfrente de | In front of/across from |
| Al lado de | Next to |
| Detrás de | Behind |
When exploring a new city, you can rely on these common destination words, buildings, and landmarks to help navigate your way around.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| El aeropuerto | Airport |
| El almacén | Department store |
| La arena | Arena |
| El banco | Bank |
| El bar / la cantina | Bar |
| El café | Café |
| La catedral | Cathedral |
| El cine | Cinema, theater |
| El centro de compras | Shopping mall |
| La cervecería | Brewery |
| El correo | Post office |
| El cuarto de baño / el baño | Bathroom |
| La escuela | School |
| La farmacia | Pharmacy |
| La ferretería | Hardware store |
| El hospital | Hospital |
| El hotel | Hotel |
| La iglesia | Church |
| La librería | Bookstore |
| La licorería | Liquor store |
| El mercado | The market |
| El museo | Museum |
| El palacio de justicia | Courthouse |
| La pastelería | Bakery |
| El parque | Park |
| La plaza | Plaza |
| El puesto de bomberos | Fire Station |
| El puerto - Port | Port |
| El supermercado | Super market |
| La universidad | University |
If you can’t find your way to a specific location, you can use some of the following options to ask how to get there. (Don’t forget to start your question with a polite Discuple (excuse me):
Now let’s try using these questions in complete sentences, combining the sentence format with a destination vocabulary:
You can further your directions in Spanish conversation with these common phrases and sentences:
Of course, it’s no use knowing how to ask for directions in Spanish if you don’t understand the answer! Make sure to study these common responses and direction words in Spanish to help you learn how to get around.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Ve (informal) | Go |
| Vaya (formal) | Go |
| Camina | Walk |
| Sigue | Continue, follow |
| Rodea | Go around |
| Gira a la derecha/izquierda | Turn right/left |
| Da vuelta a la derecha/izquierda | Turn right/left |
| Sube | Go up |
| Baja | Go down |
| Sal | Go out |
| Entra | Enter |
| Pasa por | Pass by |
Example 1:
Question: Disculpe… ¿Cuál es la mejor forma de ir al museo? (Excuse me (formal)...What is the best way to go to the museum?)
Answer: Sí… Sigues todo recto y vas a ver un parque. Gira a la derecha. Cuando llegues al final, giras a la izquierda y el museo es la segunda a la izquierda. (Yes… Keep going straight, and you’re going to see a park. Turn right. When you get to the end, turn left and the museum is the second to the left.)
Example 2:
Question: Disculpa… ¿Dónde está el baño, por favor? (Excuse me (formal)... Where is the bathroom, please?)
Answer: El baño está atrás. (The bathroom is in the back.)
Example 3:
Question: Disculpa… Busco el banco. ¿Qué tan lejos está el banco de aquí? (Excuse me (formal)... I’m looking for the bank. How far is the bank from here?)
Answer: El banco está muy cerca. Cuando llegues al final de la calle, cruzas al otro lado. El banco está a la derecha. (The bank is very close. When you arrive at the end of the street, cross to the other side. The bank is on the right.)
Native Spanish speakers may talk quickly. If you don’t understand the answer the first time, use the following sentences to ask them to repeat their response:
¿Lo puedes repetir, por favor? (Can you repeat that please?)
Disculpa, no entendí bien. ¿Lo puedes decir otra vez, por favor? (Sorry, I didn’t understand that. Can you say it again, please?)
¿Puedes hablar más despacio, por favor? (Can you please speak more slowly?)
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