In this workshop you will practice a very useful travel skill: asking whether a place is far from where you are. You will hear short questions and answers about distance, then use them in three guided speaking tasks. The key question is «¿Está lejos de aquí?», which means "Is it far from here?" A common follow-up is «¿Qué tan lejos está?», meaning "How far is it?" When someone answers, you may hear «Está cerca.», which means "It's close," or a time estimate such as «Está a diez minutos.», which means "It's ten minutes away." Listen for the word lejos for "far" and cerca for "close." These two words carry the main meaning of the answer. You do not need to invent new phrases; use the recorded lines as your model and repeat them until they feel natural.
Asking the distance question
Start with the polite opener and the main question. In the recorded exchange, the first speaker says «Disculpe, ¿el mercado está lejos de aquí?», which means "Excuse me, is the market far from here?" Notice that the place name comes before está lejos de aquí. If you want to ask about distance in a more general way, use «¿Qué tan lejos está?», meaning "How far is it?" This question works when the other person already knows which place you mean. Keep your voice calm and let the question rise slightly at the end. Practice both questions slowly before you try the full exchange.
Understanding close and far answers
A short answer can tell you a lot. «Está cerca.» means "It's close." The word cerca signals that the place is near. A time answer is also common: «Está a diez minutos.» means "It's ten minutes away." Here the speaker gives travel time, not exact distance. In the longer recorded dialogue, the answer «No, está cerca. Está a diez minutos caminando.» means "No, it's close. It's ten minutes away on foot." Later, the question «¿Y qué tan lejos está la playa?» means "And how far is the beach?" and the answer «La playa está lejos, a unos treinta minutos en carro.» means "The beach is far, about thirty minutes by car." Listen for lejos or cerca first, then catch the time and the way of traveling.
Roles and polite turn-taking
In these recordings there are two roles: a person asking for information and a person answering. The asker uses disculpe to begin politely, then asks the distance question. The answerer gives a short yes or no, then adds cerca or lejos and often a time estimate. When you practice alone, you can play both roles: ask the question, pause, then answer it. When you practice with a partner, one person asks and the other answers, then switch. Keep the exchange short and clear. A natural reply does not need many words; a simple answer with cerca or a time is enough.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
¿Está lejos de aquí?
Is it far from here?
eh-STAH LEH-hohs deh ah-KEE
¿Qué tan lejos está?
How far is it?
keh tahn LEH-hohs eh-STAH
Está cerca.
It's close.
eh-STAH SEHR-kah
Está a diez minutos.
It's ten minutes away.
eh-STAH ah dyehs mee-NOO-tohs
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Disculpe, ¿el mercado está lejos de aquí?
Excuse me, is the market far from here?No, está cerca. Está a diez minutos caminando.
No, it's close. It's ten minutes away on foot.¿Y qué tan lejos está la playa?
And how far is the beach?La playa está lejos, a unos treinta minutos en carro.
The beach is far, about thirty minutes by car.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 about the market
Imagine you are a visitor in a town and you want to find the market. You will play the person asking. Use the recorded question as your model.
Your task: Say the polite opener and ask whether the market is far from here. Use the full line from the recording: «Disculpe, ¿el mercado está lejos de aquí?» Then pause and listen to the recorded answer. After listening, repeat the answer line aloud once: «No, está cerca. Está a diez minutos caminando.»
Reply comprehension: close or far?
You will hear two recorded answers. One is about the market and one is about the beach. Your job is to decide whether each place is close or far before you speak.
Your task: Listen to the recorded answer about the market: «No, está cerca. Está a diez minutos caminando.» Decide if the place is close or far, then say the matching word aloud. Next, listen to the recorded answer about the beach: «La playa está lejos, a unos treinta minutos en carro.» Decide again, then say the matching word aloud. Finally, repeat each full answer line once.
Recall with correct roles
Now you will rebuild the recorded dialogue from memory. There are two roles: the asker and the answerer. The scene has two places: the market and the beach.
Your task: First, play the asker. Say the polite opener and ask about the market: «Disculpe, ¿el mercado está lejos de aquí?» Then play the answerer and give the close answer with the time on foot: «No, está cerca. Está a diez minutos caminando.» Next, play the asker again and ask about the beach: «¿Y qué tan lejos está la playa?» Finally, play the answerer and give the far answer with the time by car: «La playa está lejos, a unos treinta minutos en carro.»
Common questions
What is the difference between lejos and cerca?
Lejos means "far" and cerca means "close." You will hear them in short answers such as «Está cerca.» and in the recorded dialogue lines «No, está cerca. Está a diez minutos caminando.» and «La playa está lejos, a unos treinta minutos en carro.» Listen for these two words first; they tell you the main idea before you catch the time estimate.
Can I practice these lines alone without a partner?
Yes. Play the recording, pause, and repeat the line. Then play both roles yourself: ask the question, pause, and give the answer. You can also record your voice and compare it with the native audio. There is no automatic assessment, so use the success criteria in each exercise to check your own speaking.
Sources and further reading
- spanish: ask if it is farChecked September 2026
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