In this workshop you will practice polite ways to get someone's attention, ask for help, and ask for directions in Spanish. You will also practice understanding short replies about where to go and whether a place is close enough to walk. The recordings give you model lines to listen to and repeat, then short exchanges to act out with a partner or on your own.
Getting attention and asking for help
Start with a polite attention-getter before you ask for help. The recording «Disculpe, ¿me puede ayudar?» means 'Excuse me, can you help me?' Use it when you need to stop someone politely. If you want to ask for assistance with a specific problem, the recording «¿Me ayudas con una cosa?» means 'Can you help me with something?' This is a slightly more open way to begin. Practice saying each line slowly, then at a natural speed. Keep your tone friendly and your voice calm. After the person agrees to help, you can explain what you need. A simple follow-up is to say what you are looking for, which you will practice in the next section.
Saying what you are looking for and asking how to get there
After you get someone's attention, say what you need. The recording «Estoy buscando la estación de tren.» means 'I'm looking for the train station.' Use this pattern to name the place you want to find. Then ask for the route. The recording «¿Me puede decir cómo llegar?» means 'Can you tell me how to get there?' This asks for directions to the place you just mentioned. Put these together in a short sequence: first get attention, then say what you are looking for, then ask how to get there. The dialogue line «Disculpe, ¿me puede ayudar? Estoy buscando la estación de tren.» combines the first two steps: it means 'Excuse me, can you help me? I'm looking for the train station.' Practice the sequence until it feels smooth.
Understanding a short reply about the route and distance
When someone gives you directions, listen for the main actions and the distance. The recording «Claro, siga derecho dos cuadras y luego doble a la izquierda.» means 'Of course, go straight for two blocks and then turn left.' This tells you to continue forward and then make a left turn. The recording «¿Está lejos? ¿Puedo ir caminando?» means 'Is it far? Can I walk there?' Use this to check whether the place is close enough to walk. The recording «No, está cerca. Son unos diez minutos a pie.» means 'No, it's close. It's about ten minutes on foot.' This answers that it is not far and gives a walking time. Notice that the reply in «No, está cerca. Son unos diez minutos a pie.» matches the question in «¿Está lejos? ¿Puedo ir caminando?»: it answers about distance and walking. Practice listening for the key words for 'close' and 'on foot' so you can understand the answer quickly.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Disculpe, ¿me puede ayudar?
Excuse me, can you help me?
dees-KOOL-peh, meh PWEH-deh a-yoo-DHAR
Estoy buscando la estación de tren.
I'm looking for the train station.
es-TOY boos-KAN-doh la es-ta-SYON deh tren
¿Me puede decir cómo llegar?
Can you tell me how to get there?
meh PWEH-deh deh-SEER KOH-moh yeh-GHAR
¿Me ayudas con una cosa?
Can you help me with something?
meh a-YOO-dahs kon OO-nah KOH-sah
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Disculpe, ¿me puede ayudar? Estoy buscando la estación de tren.
Excuse me, can you help me? I'm looking for the train station.Claro, siga derecho dos cuadras y luego doble a la izquierda.
Of course, go straight for two blocks and then turn left.¿Está lejos? ¿Puedo ir caminando?
Is it far? Can I walk there?No, está cerca. Son unos diez minutos a pie.
No, it's close. It's about ten minutes on foot.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 for help and directions
You are a visitor in a town. You need to find the train station. A friendly local is standing nearby. Work with a partner or play both roles yourself using the recordings as your model.
Your task: First, get the local's attention and ask for help using «Disculpe, ¿me puede ayudar?». Then say what you are looking for using «Estoy buscando la estación de tren.». Then ask how to get there using «¿Me puede decir cómo llegar?». Your partner replies with directions using «Claro, siga derecho dos cuadras y luego doble a la izquierda.». After that, ask if it is far and if you can walk using «¿Está lejos? ¿Puedo ir caminando?». Your partner answers using «No, está cerca. Son unos diez minutos a pie.». If you are working alone, say your lines aloud, then play or read the reply lines and respond to them.
Reply comprehension: choose the matching answer
You have just asked for directions to the train station. Now you hear a short reply. Read the reply and choose the response that matches it. Use only the lines you have practiced.
Your task: Read this reply: «Claro, siga derecho dos cuadras y luego doble a la izquierda.». Which of these is the best next thing to say if you want to check the distance and whether you can walk? Option A: «¿Está lejos? ¿Puedo ir caminando?». Option B: «Disculpe, ¿me puede ayudar?». Option C: «¿Me ayudas con una cosa?». Choose one option and say it aloud.
Recall with correct roles: rebuild the exchange
Work with a partner or play both roles yourself. One person is the visitor who needs help. The other person is the local who gives directions. Use the recordings as your model, but try to say the lines from memory before checking.
Your task: The visitor begins by getting attention and asking for help using «Disculpe, ¿me puede ayudar?». The visitor then says what they are looking for using «Estoy buscando la estación de tren.». The visitor asks how to get there using «¿Me puede decir cómo llegar?». The local replies with directions using «Claro, siga derecho dos cuadras y luego doble a la izquierda.». The visitor asks about distance and walking using «¿Está lejos? ¿Puedo ir caminando?». The local answers using «No, está cerca. Son unos diez minutos a pie.». Say each line aloud in that order. If you are alone, say the visitor's lines aloud and then read the local's lines as the reply.
Common questions
Can I practice these lines if I do not have a partner?
Yes. You can play both roles yourself. Say the visitor's lines aloud, then read or play the local's lines as the reply. You can also record yourself saying one role and then respond to your own recording. There is no automatic assessment, so use the success criteria to check your own performance.
What should I listen for in the reply about distance?
Listen for words that mean 'close' and 'on foot' in the recording «No, está cerca. Son unos diez minutos a pie.». That reply answers the question in «¿Está lejos? ¿Puedo ir caminando?» about whether the place is far and whether you can walk. The reply says it is close and gives a walking time, so you know you do not need another form of transport.
Sources and further reading
- spanish: asking for help politelyChecked September 2026
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