Asking for and Understanding Directions

by Vocafy Beripikado

Espanyol A2 15 tanong Paglalakbay

Practice asking where places are in town and understanding key directions such as a la derecha, a la izquierda, todo derecho, a dos cuadras, and en la esquina.

1. 1. Piliin ang tamang sagot.

   You are looking for a subway station and are not sure if there is one nearby. How do you politely ask a passerby?

   • Disculpe, ¿hay una estación de metro cerca de aquí?
   • Disculpe, ¿está una estación de metro cerca de aquí?
   • Disculpe, ¿cuándo es la estación de metro?
   • Disculpe, ¿adónde va la estación de metro?

   Use the verb form that means "is there" when asking about an unspecified place with "una".

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   • Disculpe, ¿hay una estación de metro cerca de aquí?

   Use "¿hay una...?" with an indefinite article ("un" or "una") to ask if a place exists nearby. We use "¿dónde está la...?" or "¿dónde queda la...?" when asking about a specific place with "el" or "la".

2. 2. Punan ang patlang.

   Someone tells you not to turn onto any side street—just walk straight ahead until you reach the park.

   No doble en ninguna calle; camine ___ hasta llegar al parque.

   • todo derecho
   • a la esquina
   • de izquierda
   • por atrás

   Which expression means "straight ahead"?

   Show solution

   No doble en ninguna calle; camine todo derecho hasta llegar al parque.

   "Todo derecho" (or simply "derecho") means "straight ahead". Note the difference in the final vowel: "todo derecho" means straight ahead, while "a la derecha" means to the right.

3. 3. Piliin ang tamang sagot.

   You want to tell someone: "Turn right at the corner." Which sentence is correct?

   • Doble a la derecha en la esquina.
   • Doble todo derecho en la esquina.
   • Doble a la izquierda por la cuadra.
   • Doble en la derecha a la esquina.

   "To the right" uses the feminine form with "a la", and "at the corner" uses "en".

   Show solution

   • Doble a la derecha en la esquina.

   "A la derecha" means "to the right", and "en la esquina" means "at the corner" or "on the corner".

4. 4. I-type ang sagot.

   Complete the sentence to say that the bank is not in the middle of the block; it is "on the corner".

   El banco no está a mitad de cuadra; está en la ___.

   This feminine noun refers to the corner where two streets meet.

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   • esquina

   "En la esquina" means "on the corner" or "at the corner" of a street.

5. 5. Ilagay sa tamang pagkakasunod-sunod ang mga salita.

   Put the words in order to politely ask where the central post office is located.

   • el correo
   • central?
   • queda
   • ¿dónde
   • Disculpe,

   Start with "Disculpe," followed by the question word and the verb "queda".

   Show solution

   Disculpe, ¿dónde queda el correo central?

   "¿Dónde queda...?" is a very common way to ask where a building or place is located, interchangeable with "¿Dónde está...?".

6. 6. Punan ang mga patlang.

   Complete the directions: "Turn left at the corner; from there, the hotel is two blocks away."

   Doble a la ___ en la esquina; desde ahí, el hotel queda a dos ___.

   • izquierda
   • cuadras
   • derecho
   • cuadra
   • semáforo

   The first blank needs a feminine singular word after "la", and the second blank needs a plural noun for city blocks after "dos".

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   Doble a la izquierda en la esquina; desde ahí, el hotel queda a dos cuadras.

   We say "doble a la izquierda" (turn left) and "queda a dos cuadras" (it is two blocks away).

7. 7. Makinig at i-type ang sagot.

   Listen and type the sentence you hear.

   The sentence tells you where "la panadería" (the bakery) is located.

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   • La panadería está en la esquina, a la derecha.

   "La panadería está en la esquina, a la derecha" means "The bakery is on the corner, on the right."

8. 8. Punan ang patlang.

   Someone asks if the supermarket is far. Tell them it is not far; it is two blocks away from here.

   No está lejos; queda ___ de aquí.

   • a dos cuadras
   • en dos cuadras
   • por dos cuadras
   • con dos cuadras

   Spanish uses the preposition "a" before a distance to express how far away something is.

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   No está lejos; queda a dos cuadras de aquí.

   To state how far away a place is, use "a" + distance: "queda a dos cuadras" (it is two blocks away) or "está a diez minutos" (it is ten minutes away).

9. 9. Piliin ang tamang sagot.

   You are at the hotel entrance and ask how to get to the bookstore ("la librería"). Read the receptionist's directions. Where is the bookstore?

   Salga del hotel y camine todo derecho dos cuadras. No doble a la izquierda en el banco; la librería está justo enfrente del banco, en la esquina.

   • Está en la esquina, frente al banco.
   • Está a la izquierda, detrás del hotel.
   • Está dentro del banco, a una cuadra.
   • Está al lado de la entrada del hotel.

   Look at the end of the directions: "justo enfrente del banco, en la esquina."

   Show solution

   • Está en la esquina, frente al banco.

   "Justo enfrente del banco, en la esquina" means it is on the corner, right across from the bank. "Frente al banco" in the answer means the same as "enfrente del banco".

10. 10. Ilagay sa tamang pagkakasunod-sunod ang mga salita.

    Put the words in order to say: "Keep going straight ahead until the corner."

    • hasta
    • derecho
    • todo
    • la esquina.
    • Siga

    Begin with the polite command "Siga", followed by the expression for "straight ahead".

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    Siga todo derecho hasta la esquina.

    "Siga todo derecho" (Keep going straight ahead) and "hasta la esquina" (until/up to the corner) often go together in street directions.

11. 11. I-type ang sagot.

    Complete the sentence to say: "The bus stop is on the right."

    La parada de autobús está a la ___.

    Check the final vowel: after "a la", you need the feminine form meaning "right".

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    • derecha

    "A la derecha" ends in "-a" and means "on the right" or "to the right", while "todo derecho" ends in "-o" and means "straight ahead".

12. 12. Punan ang patlang.

    You want to ask someone on the street: "Excuse me, how do I get to the main square?"

    Disculpe, ¿cómo ___ a la plaza principal?

    • llego
    • vengo
    • quedo
    • doblo

    Use the "yo" form of the verb "llegar" (to arrive / to get to a place).

    Show solution

    Disculpe, ¿cómo llego a la plaza principal?

    "¿Cómo llego a...?" literally means "How do I arrive at...?" and is the standard way to ask "How do I get to...?".

13. 13. Punan ang mga patlang.

    Complete the questions asking where "the" National Theater is and whether there is "a" café around here.

    Perdone, ¿dónde ___ el Teatro Nacional? ¿Y ___ una cafetería por aquí?

    • está
    • hay
    • es
    • son
    • están

    Use "estar" for the specific named building ("el Teatro Nacional") and the impersonal verb meaning "is there" before "una cafetería".

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    Perdone, ¿dónde está el Teatro Nacional? ¿Y hay una cafetería por aquí?

    Use "¿dónde está...?" with a specific place ("el Teatro Nacional") and "¿hay...?" with "un" or "una" to ask if a type of place exists nearby.

14. 14. Makinig at i-type ang sagot.

    Listen and type the sentence you hear.

    Listen for how many blocks away the hospital is ("a dos cuadras") and the direction at the end ("todo derecho").

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    • El hospital queda a dos cuadras si sigue todo derecho.

    "El hospital queda a dos cuadras si sigue todo derecho" means "The hospital is two blocks away if you keep going straight ahead."

15. 15. Ilagay sa tamang pagkakasunod-sunod ang mga salita.

    Put the words in order to say: "At the corner of the park, turn left."

    • En la esquina
    • a la
    • del parque,
    • doble
    • izquierda.

    Start with the location phrase ("En la esquina del parque,"), then give the command.

    Show solution

    En la esquina del parque, doble a la izquierda.

    "En la esquina del parque, doble a la izquierda" combines the corner landmark with the instruction to turn left.