- Ask for directions using ¿Cómo llego a...? and ¿Dónde está...?
- Give directions - gira a la izquierda, sigue recto, cruza la calle
- Talk about distance and time (a dos manzanas, a cinco minutos)
- Use key landmarks as reference points (la iglesia, el semáforo, la rotonda)
- Master prepositions of place (enfrente de, al lado de, entre)
- Give step-by-step directions with sequencing words (primero, luego, después)
- Communicate with taxi drivers and navigate public transport
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ArticlesElementary
Giving Directions in Spanish (Dar Direcciones)
¿Cómo llego a...? Navigate any city with confidence - asking, giving, and understanding directions
What You'll Learn
Overview
You're standing on a street corner in Barcelona with a dead phone battery. You need to find the nearest metro station. A local is walking by. What do you say? Knowing how to ask for and understand directions is one of the most immediately useful skills when travelling in Spanish-speaking countries.
The Essential Direction Phrases
Asking
Perdone, ¿cómo llego al museo?
Excuse me, how do I get to the museum?
Directing
Sigue recto y gira a la izquierda
Go straight and turn left
Locating
Está enfrente de la iglesia, al lado del banco
It's opposite the church, next to the bank
Spanish directions use a mix of imperative commands (gira, sigue, cruza) and prepositions of place (enfrente de, al lado de). Once you know these building blocks, you can navigate any city - from Mexico City to Madrid.
Structure & Formation
1. Asking for Directions
Always start with perdone or disculpe to politely get someone's attention. Then use one of these structures to ask where something is or how to get there.
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Cómo llego a...? | How do I get to...? | Asking for route directions |
| ¿Dónde está...? | Where is...? | Asking for a location |
| ¿Hay un/una... por aquí? | Is there a... around here? | Looking for something nearby |
| ¿Sabe dónde está...? | Do you know where... is? | Polite, indirect question |
| ¿Me puede indicar cómo llegar a...? | Can you tell me how to get to...? | Very polite request |
| ¿Por dónde se va a...? | Which way is it to...? | Asking which direction to go |
| ¿Está lejos de aquí? | Is it far from here? | Checking distance |
| ¿Se puede ir andando? | Can you walk there? | Checking if it's walkable |
Note on "a" + "el": Remember that a + el = al. So "how do I get to the museum" is ¿Cómo llego al museo? (not a el museo). With feminine nouns, just use a la: ¿Cómo llego a la estación?
2. Basic Direction Commands
When giving directions, Spanish uses the imperative (command form). You'll hear both informal (tú) and formal (usted) forms. The formal is more common with strangers.
| Informal (tú) | Formal (usted) | English |
|---|---|---|
| Gira a la izquierda | Gire a la izquierda | Turn left |
| Gira a la derecha | Gire a la derecha | Turn right |
| Sigue todo recto / Sigue derecho | Siga todo recto / Siga derecho | Go straight / Keep going straight (recto: Spain; derecho: Latin America) |
| Cruza la calle | Cruce la calle | Cross the street |
| Toma la primera calle | Tome la primera calle | Take the first street |
| Toma la segunda a la izquierda | Tome la segunda a la izquierda | Take the second left |
| Baja por esta calle | Baje por esta calle | Go down this street |
| Sube por esta calle | Suba por esta calle | Go up this street |
| Da la vuelta | Dé la vuelta | Turn around |
| Pasa el puente | Pase el puente | Cross the bridge |
Regional tip - "take" a street: In Spain, coger is the standard verb (coge la primera / coja la primera). In Latin America, especially Argentina and Mexico, tomar is preferred (toma la primera / tome la primera) because cogerhas a vulgar meaning in those countries. When in doubt across regions, tomar is the safer choice.
3. Distance and Time
When someone asks how far away something is, you can answer in terms of distance, time, or blocks.
Distance
Está a dos manzanasIt's two blocks away
Está a unos 500 metrosIt's about 500 metres away
Está muy cercaIt's very close
Está bastante lejosIt's quite far
Está aquí al ladoIt's right next door / just nearby
Time
Está a cinco minutos andandoIt's a five-minute walk
Está a diez minutos en cocheIt's ten minutes by car
Son unos veinte minutos a pieIt's about twenty minutes on foot
En metro son dos paradasIt's two stops by metro
Se tarda media horaIt takes half an hour
4. Landmarks - Puntos de Referencia
Directions almost always reference landmarks. Knowing these words will help you both give and understand directions.
el semáforo
traffic light
la rotonda / la glorieta
roundabout
el cruce
crossroads / intersection
la esquina
corner
el puente
bridge
la plaza
square / plaza
la fuente
fountain
la iglesia
church
el parque
park
la parada de autobús
bus stop
la estación de metro
metro station
el paso de cebra
zebra crossing
la acera
pavement / sidewalk
la calle peatonal
pedestrian street
el aparcamiento
car park
5. Prepositions of Place
These prepositions tell you where something is in relation to a landmark. They're essential for both giving and understanding directions.
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| enfrente de | opposite / in front of | Está enfrente de la iglesia |
| al lado de | next to | Está al lado del banco |
| entre... y... | between... and... | Está entre el banco y la farmacia |
| cerca de | near | Está cerca de la plaza |
| lejos de | far from | Está lejos del centro |
| detrás de | behind | Está detrás del supermercado |
| delante de | in front of | Está delante del hotel |
| a la derecha de | to the right of | Está a la derecha de la fuente |
| a la izquierda de | to the left of | Está a la izquierda del museo |
| en la esquina de | on the corner of | Está en la esquina de Gran Vía con Alcalá |
| al final de | at the end of | Está al final de la calle |
| a mitad de | halfway along | Está a mitad de la calle |
6. Giving Step-by-Step Directions
When giving longer directions, use sequencing words to make them clear. This is the pattern native speakers use.
The Direction Formula
Primero, sigue recto... Luego, gira a la... Después, cruza... Y allí lo verás
Primero / Primero de todo
First / First of all
Luego / Después
Then / After that
Cuando llegues a...
When you get to...
Al llegar al semáforo...
When you reach the traffic light...
Y allí / Ahí lo verás
And there you'll see it
No tiene pérdida
You can't miss it
Full Example
Primero, siga todo recto por esta calle. Luego, cuando llegue al semáforo, gire a la izquierda. Después, tome la segunda calle a la derecha. El museo está al final de esa calle, a la izquierda. No tiene pérdida.
First, go straight along this street. Then, when you reach the traffic light, turn left. After that, take the second street on the right. The museum is at the end of that street, on the left. You can't miss it.
7. In a Taxi
Taking a taxi requires a slightly different set of phrases. Here's everything you need to get where you're going.
| Spanish | English | Situation |
|---|---|---|
| Al aeropuerto, por favor | To the airport, please | Giving your destination |
| ¿Me lleva a esta dirección? | Can you take me to this address? | Showing an address |
| Pare aquí, por favor | Stop here, please | You want to get out |
| ¿Puede parar en la esquina? | Can you stop at the corner? | Specifying where to stop |
| Siga recto, por favor | Keep going straight, please | Directing the driver |
| Gire a la derecha en el semáforo | Turn right at the traffic light | Giving route instructions |
| Es aquí / Es en la siguiente | It's here / It's the next one | Arriving at destination |
| ¿Cuánto es? / ¿Cuánto le debo? | How much is it? / How much do I owe? | Paying |
| ¿Acepta tarjeta? | Do you take card? | Payment method |
| Quédese con el cambio | Keep the change | Tipping |
Examples
Finding the Metro
Asking
Perdone, ¿hay una estación de metro por aquí?
Excuse me, is there a metro station around here?
Direction 1
Sí, siga todo recto hasta el semáforo.
Yes, go straight to the traffic light.
Direction 2
Gire a la derecha y baje por esa calle.
Turn right and go down that street.
Final
La estación está al final, a la izquierda. Está a unos cinco minutos.
The station is at the end, on the left. It's about five minutes.
Finding a Restaurant
Asking
¿Sabe dónde está el restaurante Casa María?
Do you know where the restaurant Casa María is?
Direction 1
Sí, está muy cerca. Tome la primera a la izquierda.
Yes, it's very close. Take the first left.
Direction 2
Luego siga recto unos cien metros.
Then go straight for about a hundred metres.
Final
Está enfrente de la fuente, entre el banco y la farmacia. No tiene pérdida.
It's opposite the fountain, between the bank and the pharmacy. You can't miss it.
In a Taxi
Getting in
Buenas tardes. Al Hotel Central, por favor.
Good afternoon. To the Hotel Central, please.
Suggesting route
¿Puede ir por la avenida principal? Hay menos tráfico.
Can you go via the main avenue? There's less traffic.
Arriving
Pare aquí en la esquina, por favor.
Stop here at the corner, please.
Paying
¿Cuánto le debo? Quédese con el cambio.
How much do I owe? Keep the change.
Describing a Location
Street address
Mi hotel está en la calle Mayor, número 15.
My hotel is on Calle Mayor, number 15.
Using landmarks
Está al lado del parque, enfrente de una farmacia.
It's next to the park, opposite a pharmacy.
Inside a building
Está en la segunda planta, encima de la cafetería.
It's on the second floor, above the café.
Visual cue
Es el edificio azul en la esquina, no tiene pérdida.
It's the blue building on the corner, you can't miss it.
Common Mistakes
Common Mistakes with Directions
Wrong: ¿Cómo llego a el museo?
Correct: ¿Cómo llego al museo?
Remember: a + el = al. Always contract "a" and "el" into "al."
Wrong: Gira a izquierda
Correct: Gira a la izquierda
Always include the article "la" - it's always "a la izquierda" and "a la derecha."
Wrong: Va recto
Correct: Sigue recto / Siga recto
Use "sigue" (informal) or "siga" (formal) for "go straight," not "va."
Wrong: Está enfrente el banco
Correct: Está enfrente del banco
Prepositions of place need "de" - enfrente de, al lado de, cerca de. And de + el = del.
Wrong: Toma la calle segunda
Correct: Toma la segunda calle
Ordinal numbers (primera, segunda, tercera) go before the noun in directions.
"Block" - Manzana vs Cuadra
The word for "block" (city block) differs by region:
Spain: manzana
Está a dos manzanas de aquí
Latin America: cuadra
Está a dos cuadras de aquí
When You Don't Understand the Directions
¿Puede repetir, por favor?Can you repeat that, please?
¿Puede hablar más despacio?Can you speak more slowly?
Perdone, no he entendidoSorry, I didn't understand
¿Me lo puede escribir?Can you write it down for me?
¿Me lo puede enseñar en el mapa?Can you show me on the map?
Quick Test
Test your ability to give and understand directions in Spanish!
1. How do you ask 'How do I get to the museum?' in Spanish?
2. What does 'gire a la izquierda' mean?
3. 'Está a cinco minutos andando' means:
4. Which phrase means 'opposite the church'?
5. You want to tell a taxi driver to stop. What do you say?
6. How do you say 'take the second street on the right'?
7. What does 'no tiene pérdida' mean at the end of directions?
8. In Latin America, what word is commonly used for 'block' (city block)?
9. Someone gives you directions too fast. What do you say?
Useful Resources
Coming soon...