In this workshop you will practise a short, realistic exchange in Spanish. You will learn how to ask where the nearest pharmacy is, how to ask whether there is one nearby, and how to ask about opening and closing times. You will also work with a short dialogue between two speakers and work out what the answer means. The focus is on speaking clearly, listening for key words, and choosing the right question for the situation. You can play both roles using the recorded lines and the dialogue transcript, but there is no automatic assessment, so use the answer keys and self-checks to judge your own performance.
Asking where the pharmacy is
Start with the most direct question. «¿Dónde está la farmacia más cercana?» means "Where is the nearest pharmacy?" The word está is used for location, so you are asking where something is, not what it is like. A softer option is «¿Hay una farmacia cerca?», which means "Is there a pharmacy nearby?" Use this when you are not sure a pharmacy exists in the area. Both questions are polite and easy to understand. When you speak, keep your voice calm and clear. Stress the word farmacia so the listener knows what you are looking for. If you are in a shop or on the street, you can begin with disculpe, which means "excuse me", before the question. Practise each line slowly, then at a natural speed.
Asking about opening and closing times
Once you know where the pharmacy is, you often need to know whether it is open. «¿A qué hora abre la farmacia?» means "What time does the pharmacy open?" The verb abre means "opens". To ask about closing time, use «¿A qué hora cierra?», which means "What time does it close?" The verb cierra means "closes". These two questions are short and useful. You can ask them in any order. If you only need one piece of information, choose the question that matters most to you. Listen for the time in the answer. In the dialogue below, the answer includes a number and a part of the day. You do not need to understand every word to catch the time.
Listening to a short answer
Now work with a short exchange. Speaker A asks «Disculpe, ¿dónde está la farmacia más cercana?», which means "Excuse me, where is the nearest pharmacy?" Speaker B answers with «Hay una farmacia a dos cuadras, al lado del supermercado.», which means "There is a pharmacy two blocks away, next to the supermarket." This answer gives you two useful pieces of information: the distance and a nearby place. Speaker A then asks «¿A qué hora cierra?», which means "What time does it close?" Speaker B answers with «Cierra a las nueve de la noche. Está abierta ahora.», which means "It closes at nine at night. It is open now." Notice that the answer gives both the closing time and the fact that the pharmacy is open. When you listen, focus on the words cuadras (blocks), supermercado (supermarket), and nueve (nine). These key words help you understand the main message even if you miss other details.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
¿Dónde está la farmacia más cercana?
Where is the nearest pharmacy?
DON-deh es-TAH la far-MAH-syah mas ser-KAH-nah
¿Hay una farmacia cerca?
Is there a pharmacy nearby?
eye OO-nah far-MAH-syah SER-kah
¿A qué hora abre la farmacia?
What time does the pharmacy open?
ah keh OH-rah AH-breh la far-MAH-syah
¿A qué hora cierra?
What time does it close?
ah keh OH-rah SYEH-rrah
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Disculpe, ¿dónde está la farmacia más cercana?
Excuse me, where is the nearest pharmacy?Hay una farmacia a dos cuadras, al lado del supermercado.
There is a pharmacy two blocks away, next to the supermarket.¿A qué hora cierra?
What time does it close?Cierra a las nueve de la noche. Está abierta ahora.
It closes at nine at night. It is open now.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: ask and answer
You are standing near a supermarket in a Spanish-speaking town. You need a pharmacy. Play both roles using the recorded lines. First, play Speaker A and ask the question from «Disculpe, ¿dónde está la farmacia más cercana?». Then play Speaker B and give the answer from «Hay una farmacia a dos cuadras, al lado del supermercado.». After that, play Speaker A again and ask the question from «¿A qué hora cierra?», and play Speaker B with the answer from «Cierra a las nueve de la noche. Está abierta ahora.».
Your task: Repeat each line after the recording or from the transcript, then say it without looking. Focus on clear pronunciation of farmacia, cuadras, and nueve. When you play Speaker B, make sure you say the location and the closing time. When you play Speaker A, use a polite tone and start with disculpe.
Reply comprehension: choose the correct meaning
Work with the answer from Speaker B in «Hay una farmacia a dos cuadras, al lado del supermercado.» and «Cierra a las nueve de la noche. Está abierta ahora.». Then read the three choices below and decide which one matches what Speaker B says. You can replay the recorded lines as many times as you need.
Your task: Choice A: The pharmacy is two blocks away, next to the supermarket, and it closes at nine at night and is open now. Choice B: The pharmacy is far away and closed. Choice C: The pharmacy is next to the supermarket and opens at nine in the morning. Say your choice out loud, then explain in English why you chose it.
Recall and role swap
Now test your memory without looking at the lines. Imagine you are Speaker B. Someone asks you «Disculpe, ¿dónde está la farmacia más cercana?» and then «¿A qué hora cierra?». You need to answer with the information from «Hay una farmacia a dos cuadras, al lado del supermercado.» and «Cierra a las nueve de la noche. Está abierta ahora.». Then swap roles: you are Speaker A and you ask both questions.
Your task: First, say the two answers from memory. Then say the two questions from memory. Try to keep the same order as the dialogue: first the location question, then the closing-time question. If you forget a word, replay the recorded lines and try again. Do not worry about speed; accuracy is more important.
Common questions
What is the difference between the question in «¿Dónde está la farmacia más cercana?» and the question in «¿Hay una farmacia cerca?»?
«¿Dónde está la farmacia más cercana?» means "Where is the nearest pharmacy?" and asks for a specific location. «¿Hay una farmacia cerca?» means "Is there a pharmacy nearby?" and is a softer, more general question. Use «¿Dónde está la farmacia más cercana?» when you expect a pharmacy to exist and you want directions. Use «¿Hay una farmacia cerca?» when you are not sure there is one in the area.
How do I know whether the pharmacy is open or closed from the dialogue?
In «Cierra a las nueve de la noche. Está abierta ahora.», Speaker B says it closes at nine at night and then says it is open now. The phrase está abierta ahora means "it is open now". If you hear a closing time but do not hear está abierta ahora, you have not been told that the pharmacy is currently open, so you may need to ask «¿Está abierta ahora?» to confirm.
Sources and further reading
- spanish: ask for a pharmacyChecked September 2026
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