Ask for directions in Spanish
Learn beginner Spanish for asking how to get to a place, with the key question ¿Cómo llego a...?, polite openers, basic direction words, and a short practice dialogue for real city situations.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
To ask how to get somewhere in Spanish, the most useful beginner pattern is ¿Cómo llego a...? (How do I get to...?). It works for a museum, a station, a hotel or a pharmacy. Add a polite opener such as Disculpe or Perdone, and you can stop a staff member and ask a clear, natural question. This lesson gives you reusable sentence patterns, basic direction words you will hear in reply, and a short exchange to practise.
By the end, you can…
- ask how to get to a place using ¿Cómo llego a...?
- use a polite opener and understand basic direction words in a short reply.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Disculpe, ¿cómo llego al museo?
Excuse me, how do I get to the museum?
dees-KOOL-peh, KOH-moh YEH-goh al moo-SEH-oh
Polite and standard in Latin American Spanish. Use al before a masculine singular place: al museo, al hotel. Before a feminine place, use a la: ¿Cómo llego a la estación?
Perdone, ¿cómo puedo llegar a la estación?
Excuse me, how can I get to the station?
per-DOH-neh, KOH-moh PWEH-doh yeh-GAR a la es-ta-SYOHN
Slightly more formal. Puedo llegar asks how you can get there; llego is shorter and very common in speech.
¿Está lejos de aquí?
Is it far from here?
es-TAH LEH-hoh deh ah-KEE
Useful follow-up question. The reply may be No, está cerca (No, it is close) or Sí, está lejos (Yes, it is far).
¿Puede mostrarme en el mapa?
Can you show me on the map?
PWEH-deh mos-TRAR-meh en el MAH-pah
A practical request when you have a map or phone screen. It asks the person to point out the route.
Siga derecho y luego gire a la derecha.
Go straight and then turn right.
SEE-gah deh-REH-choh ee LWEH-goh HEE-reh a la deh-REH-chah
A typical direction you may hear. Siga is a polite command form. In Spain you may hear torcer instead of girar, and a la derecha is standard in both regions.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is ¿Cómo llego a + place? Use al for a masculine singular place and a la for a feminine singular place: ¿Cómo llego al museo? / ¿Cómo llego a la estación? For plural places, use a los or a las: ¿Cómo llego a los baños? You can also ask ¿Cómo puedo llegar a...? which is slightly more formal and means How can I get to...? Both are correct; llego is shorter and very common in everyday speech.
When to use it
Start with Disculpe or Perdone when you approach a staff member, then ask your question. If you need a reply repeated, say ¿Puede repetirlo, por favor? Listen for key direction words: derecha (right), izquierda (left), derecho (straight), cerca (close), lejos (far). In Latin America, derecho is common for straight ahead; in Spain, todo recto is also very common. These are regional preferences, not errors.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Disculpe, ¿cómo llego al museo?
Excuse me, how do I get to the museum?dees-KOOL-peh, KOH-moh YEH-goh al moo-SEH-ohSiga derecho y luego gire a la derecha. Está cerca.
Go straight and then turn right. It is close.SEE-gah deh-REH-choh ee LWEH-goh HEE-reh a la deh-REH-chah. es-TAH SEHR-kah¿Puede mostrarme en el mapa?
Can you show me on the map?PWEH-deh mos-TRAR-meh en el MAH-pahSí, claro. Está aquí, al lado del parque.
Yes, of course. It is here, next to the park.see, KLAH-roh. es-TAH ah-KEE, al LAH-doh del PAR-kehA little context goes a long way
Disculpe and Perdone are both polite ways to get someone's attention. Disculpe is very common in Latin America; in Spain, Perdone is also frequent. Use usted forms with strangers and staff: Disculpe, ¿cómo llego...? Using tú with a stranger can sound too familiar in some situations. When someone gives directions, a simple Gracias is enough.
One thing to watch for
Saying ¿Cómo llego a el museo? as two separate words.
Try this instead: Use the contraction al before a masculine singular place: ¿Cómo llego al museo? Before a feminine place, use a la: ¿Cómo llego a la estación? The separate words a el are not used in this pattern.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Ask a staff member how to get to the museum, using a polite opener.
Show a sample answer
Disculpe, ¿cómo llego al museo?
This uses the polite opener Disculpe and the core pattern ¿Cómo llego a...? with the contraction al. Perdone, ¿cómo llego al museo? is also correct and slightly more formal.
2Ask how to get to the station.
Show a sample answer
¿Cómo llego a la estación?
Estación is feminine singular, so use a la, not al. ¿Cómo puedo llegar a la estación? is also correct and a little more formal.
3You hear Siga derecho y luego gire a la derecha. What should you do first?
Show a sample answer
Go straight, then turn right.
Siga derecho means go straight, and luego gire a la derecha means then turn right. In Spain you may hear todo recto instead of derecho; both are valid.
Use Disculpe or Perdone plus ¿Cómo llego a...? to ask for directions. Remember al before a masculine singular place and a la before a feminine one. Listen for derecha, izquierda, derecho and cerca, and ask the person to show you on a map if needed.
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