Knowing how to ask for and give directions in Spanish is very important when traveling abroad to a Spanish speaking country.
Although sometimes it can be an adventure to get lost when traveling abroad, it isn’t always as much fun. Getting completely lost in a city you don’t know, can sometimes be stressful and even dangerous.
Thus, I gathered the vocabulary that you need to ask for and give directions in Spanish in this post, in order to get ready to your next trip 🙂
Directions in Spanish – Vocabulary
LOCATIONS AND LANDMARKS
When asking for or giving directions, it is important to know some key vocabulary.
| SPANISH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| El apartamento | Apartment |
| El aseo/los aseos El baño/los baños El cuarto de aseo/baño El lavabo El servicio/los servicios | Bathroom Restroom |
| La autopista La autovía | Freeway Highway |
| La avenida | Avenue |
| El barrio | Neighborhood |
| La biblioteca | Library |
| La calle | Street |
| El camino | Unpaved road Way Path |
| La carretera | Road Highway |
| La catedral | Cathedral |
| El centro | Center Downtown |
| El edificio | Building |
| La escuela El colegio | School |
| La estación de autobuses La terminal de autobuses | Bust station |
| La estación de metro | Metro station |
| La estación de tranvía | Tram station Streetcar station |
| La estación de tren | Train station |
| El hostal | Hostal |
| El hotel | Hotel |
| La iglesia | Church |
| El jardín | Garden |
| La lavandería | Laundrymat |
| La manzana | Block |
| El mercado | Market |
| El museo | Museum |
| La oficina de correos | Post office |
| La oficina de turismo | Turism office |
| El palacio | Palace |
| La parada de autobús | Bus stop |
| El parque | Park |
| La playa | Beach |
| La plaza | Square Plaza |
| La plaza de toros | Bullring |
| El puerto | Port Harbor |
| El restaurante | Restaurant |
| El río | River |
| El supermercado | Supermarket Grocery store |
| El teatro | Theater |
| La tienda | Shop |
| El zoológico | Zoo |
PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE
Prepositions of place or location express where things are often, relative to other objects or to other people, places and things.
| SPANISH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| Alrededor de | Around |
| Al lado de Junto a | Next to |
| Antes de | Before |
| Atrás de | Behind In the back of |
| Cerca de Junto a | Near Close to |
| Debajo de | Under Underneath Beneath Below |
| Delante de | In front of Ahead of |
| Dentro de En | Inside In |
| Después de | After |
| Detrás de | Behind |
| En | In On |
| Encima de Sobre En | Above Over On the top of On |
| Enfrente de Frente a Delante de | Across from Opposite In front of Facing |
| Entre | Between |
| Fuera de | Out of |
| Lejos de | Far from Far away from |
ADVERBS AND ADVERB PHRASES OF PLACE
Adverbs and adverb phrases of place express where the action of the verb is carried out.
| SPANISH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| Abajo | Downstairs Below |
| Ahí | There |
| Al lado | Nearby |
| A la derecha | To the right On the right |
| Al final | At the end |
| Al fondo | At the back At the end |
| A la izquierda | To the left On the left |
| Al otro lado | Across On the other side |
| Allí | Over there |
| Aquí | Here |
| Arriba | Upstairs Above Up |
| Cerca | Nearby Close Near Close by |
| Debajo | Underneath Beneath |
| Delante | In front At front Ahead |
| Dentro | Inside |
| Derecho Recto | Straight Straight ahead |
| Detrás | Behind At the back |
| Encima | Above On On top |
| Enfrente | Across Opposite In front of |
| Fuera | Outside |
| Lejos | Far Far away |
HOW TO ASK FOR DIRECTIONS
There are many ways to ask for directions. Above all, keep in mind the main verbs we use are: Estar, encontrar, encontrarse, ir, llegar and quedar.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Cómo llego al centro? | How do I get/arrive to Downtown? |
| ¿Cómo puedo llegar a la estación de tren? | How can I get/arrive to the train station? |
| ¿Cómo se llega al mercado? | How do you get/arrive to the market? |
| ¿Cómo se va al museo? ¿Cómo voy al museo? | How do I go to the museum? |
| ¿Cómo voy desde la plaza hasta el centro? | How do I go from the square to/until downtown? |
| ¿Dónde está el baño? | Where is the bathroom/restroom? |
| ¿Dónde puedo encontrar la biblioteca? | Where can I find the library? |
| ¿Dónde queda la calle Aragón? | Where is Aragón street? |
| ¿Dónde se encuentra la catedral? | Where is the cathedral? |
| ¿En qué parte del barrio se encuentra la oficina de correos? | In what part of the neighborhood is the post office? |
| ¿Qué hay detrás del teatro? | What is behind the theater? |
HOW TO GIVE DIRECTIONS
It is not all about learning how to ask for directions, you also have to understand those directions.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Detrás del teatro hay un restaurante | Behind the theater there is a restaurant |
| El baño está al fondo | The bathroom is at the back |
| Gire/a/as a la derecha | Turn to the right |
| La biblioteca se encuentra en el centro | The library is in downtown |
| La calle Aragón queda cerca de la estación de autobuses | Aragón street is close to the bus station |
| La oficina de correos se encuentra en el centro | The post office is in downtown |
| Siga/sigue/sigues derecho/recto | Keep straight |
| Tome/a/as la avenida San Antonio Coja/coge/es la avenida San Antonio | Take San Antonio avenue |
| Vaya/ve/vas derecho/recto hasta la plaza Cataluña | Go straight until Cataluña Square |
| Vaya/ve/vas hacia la calle Valencia | Go toward Valencia street |
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, I made easier for you to learn and practice how to ask for and give directions in Spanish.
I encourage you to get familiar with this vocabulary and use it in your next adventure! 🙂
Have you ever been lost in a Spanish speaking country? Were you able to find your way?
Leave your answers below, in the comment section.
