Imagine you are in that Spanish-speaking country you have always dreamed of visiting. However, after selecting your tourist destination for the day, you realize that you have lost the city map, and your phone is out of battery.
At that moment, you think: What do I do now? Don't worry too much; approach the locals and start a conversation to ask for directions to successfully reach your destination. If you're worried about not knowing how to ask for directions in Spanish, keep reading!
In this article, we will teach you how to do it properly.
Getting lost in an unfamiliar city can stress you out and put you in danger. Therefore, it is crucial to start a friendly conversation so that the other person is more receptive. Here are some useful examples:
If you want to be a bit more direct so the other person quickly understands the situation, you can use:
When the other person responds affirmatively, you should ask for directions. However, remember that the questions vary depending on the information you need and usually require a specific verb.
Ask the exact location of a place using the verbs “estar” (to be) or “quedar” (to be located). Examples:
“Haber” (to be) can be used to confirm the proximity of a place. Example:
To ask how to get to a place, the verb “llegar” (to arrive) should be used. Example:
To confirm that you are close to your destination, ask if the person knows where the place is. (Conocer - to know) Example:
Now that we have learned how to ask for directions properly, it is also important to mention the incorrect way of doing it. Whenever you need help with directions and locations, try to ask logical questions to receive precise information and not confuse the person helping you. Here are some incorrect examples:
If you look closely, after reading these questions several times, we can understand their meaning; however, if you pay attention, you will notice that some lack important adverbs like “where,” others are missing essential verbs like “to be,” and others simply lack context. Strive to ask for directions correctly without omitting those important components. You can do it!
There are many ways to ask for directions, and they all can vary depending on the information we need to obtain. Expand your vocabulary with the following examples:
Surely you noticed that these phrases lack a subject. It’s your turn to practice; take these examples, add a subject with the corresponding courtesy title (sir, ma’am, miss, young man), and of course, do not forget to start the conversation politely with “Excuse me” or “Pardon.”
Congratulations! You now know how to ask for directions properly. However, we still need to cover another fundamental aspect: how to follow directions and interpret them correctly.
To correctly interpret the directions you receive, study the following verbs: ir (to go), cruzar (to cross), girar (to turn), tomar (to take), retroceder (to go back), seguir (to follow/continue), doblar (to turn).
These three verbs are used to indicate a change of direction to the left or right.
Example: Para llegar a la panadería, camina en línea recta y luego cruza a la derecha. (In this case, you can also use “girar” or “doblar” instead of “cruzar” and it will have the same meaning)
This verb is used to tell someone they are on the right path and should continue.
Example: Sigue caminando un par de metros y encontrarás el hospital.
Commonly, we use the verb “ir” to indicate a specific direction.
Example: Para llegar al restaurante, puedes ir hacia la esquina, doblar hacia la izquierda y ahí lo verás.
When someone tells us to go back, it means we have walked a few extra meters and have passed our destination, so we need to go back.
Example: Para llegar al teatro, debes retroceder unos 20 metros aproximadamente.
Frequently, this verb is used to indicate the correct path to a destination, for example, a specific street.
Example: Para llegar al cine, puedes tomar la calle 34, luego solo cruza a la izquierda y habrás llegado.
In conclusion, don't let not knowing how to ask for directions or how to follow directions in Spanish stop you from traveling to your favorite Spanish-speaking countries. Everything mentioned in this article can be put into practice so that gradually asking for directions becomes something easy for you. If you are polite, use the appropriate courtesy titles, and use the verbs, logic, and context correctly, I assure you there will be no direction you can't reach.
Have a great trip!