In this workshop you will practice a short, realistic exchange in Spanish: getting someone's attention politely, asking how to reach a place, and understanding a simple spoken reply. You will hear the key lines, learn what each one means in English, and then use them in three guided tasks. You can play both roles with the audio, but there is no automatic assessment, so check your own answers with the provided keys. The focus is on speaking clearly, listening for direction words, and choosing the right polite phrase for the situation.
Getting attention and asking the main question
Start by politely getting someone's attention. A common and friendly way is to say «Disculpe, ¿cómo llego al museo?». This means 'Excuse me, how do I get to the museum?' The word 'Disculpe' is a polite opener, and '¿cómo llego...?' asks 'how do I get...?'. A slightly more formal option is «Perdone, ¿cómo puedo llegar a la estación?», which means 'Excuse me, how can I get to the station?'. Here 'Perdone' is a bit more formal, and '¿cómo puedo llegar...?' asks 'how can I get...?'. Both are useful. Notice that the place changes: 'al museo' in the first line and 'a la estación' in the second. Practice saying each line slowly, then at a natural speed. Focus on clear vowels and a gentle rising intonation for the question.
Checking distance and asking for a map
After you ask for directions, you may want to check how far the place is. You can ask «¿Está lejos de aquí?», which means 'Is it far from here?'. A short reply might tell you it is close or far. If you have a map or a phone screen, you can ask «¿Puede mostrarme en el mapa?», meaning 'Can you show me on the map?'. This is very practical when you need to see the route. Practice these two questions as a mini-dialogue: first ask the main question, then follow up with the distance question or the map request. Keep your tone polite and calm. These lines are short, so you can repeat them several times until they feel comfortable.
Listening to a short direction reply
Now listen to a short exchange. One person asks «Disculpe, ¿cómo llego al museo?», which is the same as the first question: 'Excuse me, how do I get to the museum?'. The other person answers «Siga derecho y luego gire a la derecha. Está cerca.», meaning 'Go straight and then turn right. It is close.' In this reply, 'Siga derecho' means 'Go straight', 'luego gire a la derecha' means 'then turn right', and 'Está cerca' means 'It is close'. Notice that 'a la derecha' here is an instruction to turn right, not a location on the right side. Then the first person asks «¿Puede mostrarme en el mapa?», 'Can you show me on the map?', and the other person answers «Sí, claro. Está aquí, al lado del parque.», 'Yes, of course. It is here, next to the park.' Here 'aquí' means 'here', and 'al lado del parque' means 'next to the park'. Listen for these key words when you hear directions.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
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
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
¿Está lejos de aquí?
Is it far from here?
es-TAH LEH-hoh deh ah-KEE
¿Puede mostrarme en el mapa?
Can you show me on the map?
PWEH-deh mos-TRAR-meh en el MAH-pah
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Disculpe, ¿cómo llego al museo?
Excuse me, how do I get to the museum?Siga derecho y luego gire a la derecha. Está cerca.
Go straight and then turn right. It is close.¿Puede mostrarme en el mapa?
Can you show me on the map?Sí, claro. Está aquí, al lado del parque.
Yes, of course. It is here, next to the park.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 will play both roles in a short conversation. Use the audio for the native lines. Imagine you are a visitor asking for the museum, and then imagine you are the person giving directions.
Your task: First, play the role of the visitor. Say the line from «Disculpe, ¿cómo llego al museo?» to ask how to get to the museum. Then play the role of the person replying. Say the line from «Siga derecho y luego gire a la derecha. Está cerca.» to give directions. Repeat the exchange two or three times, switching roles each time. Focus on clear pronunciation and polite intonation.
Reply comprehension: choose the correct meaning
You will hear a short reply and choose what it means in English. This task checks your listening, not your speaking. Use the audio for the native line.
Your task: Listen to the line from «Siga derecho y luego gire a la derecha. Está cerca.». Then choose the correct English meaning from these options: (A) 'Go straight and then turn right. It is close.' (B) 'Turn left and then go straight. It is far.' (C) 'It is next to the park.' Say your answer out loud, then check it below.
Recall and role switch: ask for the station and show the map
Now you will recall the lines without looking at them first. Imagine you are asking for the station and then asking to see the map. You will play both roles.
Your task: First, say the polite line to ask how to get to the station. Use the audio for «Perdone, ¿cómo puedo llegar a la estación?» if you need help. Then ask to see the map using the line from «¿Puede mostrarme en el mapa?». After that, switch roles: imagine someone asks you «¿Puede mostrarme en el mapa?», and you reply with «Sí, claro. Está aquí, al lado del parque.». Try to say each line from memory before checking the audio.
Common questions
What is the difference between '¿Cómo llego...?' and '¿Cómo puedo llegar...?'
'¿Cómo llego...?' is shorter and very common in everyday speech, as in «Disculpe, ¿cómo llego al museo?». '¿Cómo puedo llegar...?' is slightly more formal and asks 'how can I get...?', as in «Perdone, ¿cómo puedo llegar a la estación?». Both are polite and useful. You can choose the one that feels more comfortable, but it is good to recognize both when you hear them.
How do I know if 'a la derecha' means 'on the right' or 'turn right'?
In a direction reply, 'a la derecha' often comes after a verb like 'gire', which means 'turn'. In «Siga derecho y luego gire a la derecha. Está cerca.», 'luego gire a la derecha' means 'then turn right'. If you hear 'está a la derecha', that means 'it is on the right'. The verb helps you understand whether it is an instruction to turn or a location on the right side.
Sources and further reading
- spanish: ask for directionsChecked September 2026
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Take today's Spanish into a conversation with a Yapr AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr