Asking for Directions: Never Stay Lost in Spanish
Stop a stranger politely, ask the way three different ways, and actually understand the answer — todo recto, a la derecha and beyond.
Key phrases
Perdona, ¿cómo llego a la Plaza Mayor?
Excuse me, how do I get to the Plaza Mayor?
Disculpe, ¿sabe dónde está la estación de tren?
Excuse me, do you know where the train station is?
¿Por dónde se va al centro?
Which way is it to the center?
Sigue todo recto hasta el semáforo.
Go straight ahead until the traffic light.
Gira a la derecha en la segunda calle.
Turn right at the second street.
Está a dos calles de aquí.
It is two streets from here.
El museo está al fondo, enfrente de la catedral.
The museum is at the end, opposite the cathedral.
Cruza la plaza y lo verás al lado del banco.
Cross the square and you will see it next to the bank.
¿Está lejos? ¿Se puede ir andando?
Is it far? Can you walk there?
Está cerca, a unos cinco minutos a pie.
It is close, about five minutes on foot.
Perdona, ¿me lo puedes repetir? No te he entendido.
Excuse me, can you repeat that for me? I didn't understand you.
Más despacio, por favor, estoy aprendiendo español.
Slower, please, I am learning Spanish.
Tranquilo, no tiene pérdida.
Don't worry, you can't miss it.
Two Words That Open Every Door
Before you ask anything, you need to stop a stranger without startling them. Spanish gives you two interchangeable openers: perdona and disculpa. Both mean “excuse me,” and both have a formal twin — perdone and disculpe — for older people, police officers, or anyone you’d address as usted. When in doubt, go formal: nobody was ever offended by perdone. Follow it with a beat of eye contact, and you have their full attention.
Three Ways to Ask the Way
- ¿Cómo llego a…? — “How do I get to…?” The workhorse. Perdona, ¿cómo llego al Museo del Prado?
- ¿Sabes dónde está…? — “Do you know where … is?” Softer, great when you’re not sure they’ll know. Formal: ¿sabe dónde está…?
- ¿Por dónde se va a…? — “Which way to…?” The most native-sounding of the three, built on the impersonal se.
Note the little contraction trap: a + el = al. It’s al centro, al museo — never a el.
Decode the Answer
The reply will be built from a surprisingly short list. Learn these and you’ll understand ninety percent of any directions:
- todo recto — straight ahead
- gira a la derecha / a la izquierda — turn right / left
- está a dos calles — it’s two streets away
- al fondo — at the far end
- enfrente de — opposite
- al lado de — next to
- cruza la plaza — cross the square
- no tiene pérdida — you can’t miss it (the classic sign-off)
Expect the whole thing as friendly tú commands — sigue, gira, cruza — even from people who have never met you.
Far or Near?
Before committing to a march across town, ask ¿está lejos? (is it far?) or ¿está cerca? (is it close?). The follow-up every traveler needs: ¿se puede ir andando? — can you walk there? Spanish measures distance with estar a: está a diez minutos a pie (it’s ten minutes on foot), está a tres paradas de metro (it’s three metro stops away).
When You Didn’t Catch It
Directions come fast. Instead of nodding and staying lost, use ¿me lo puedes repetir? (can you repeat that for me?) or más despacio, por favor (slower, please). Adding estoy aprendiendo español turns strangers into volunteer teachers. And when it finally clicks, close with a cheerful vale, gracias — the all-purpose Spanish “okay.”
Pro Tip
Spaniards will give you directions with total confidence whether or not they actually know the way — it’s considered friendlier than admitting defeat. The local survival trick: ask two different people and triangulate. Nothing outs you as a guiri faster than trusting the first answer with your life.
Getting un-lost is just one street on the map — the full journey is in Daily Life and Culture, part of our Speak Spanish Like a Native book series.