Asking for Directions in Spanish: A Street Conversation
An example conversation to study — read the Spanish line by line, check the English underneath. A page shows you what to say; saying it out loud is what makes it yours.
- You
Perdona, ¿me puedes ayudar? Busco la estación de tren.
Excuse me, can you help me? I'm looking for the train station.
- Transeúnte
Claro. Está cerca. Sigue todo recto por esta calle.
Of course. It's close. Go straight ahead down this street.
- You
Todo recto. ¿Y después?
Straight ahead. And then?
- Transeúnte
En el semáforo, gira a la derecha. La estación está enfrente de un parque.
At the traffic light, turn right. The station is across from a park.
- You
¿Está lejos?
Is it far?
- Transeúnte
No, a unos cinco minutos a pie.
No, about five minutes on foot.
- You
A ver si entiendo: todo recto, y a la derecha en el semáforo.
Let me see if I understand: straight ahead, and right at the traffic light.
- Transeúnte
Exacto. No tiene pérdida.
Exactly. You can't miss it.
- You
Muchas gracias, muy amable.
Thank you very much, very kind of you.
- Transeúnte
De nada. ¡Buen viaje!
You're welcome. Have a good trip!
What's happening in this conversation
You're lost, you stop someone, and thirty seconds later you're walking again. Asking for directions is the classic first real conversation — short, formulaic, and with a native speaker who wants to help. The trick isn't asking (that's one line); it's surviving the answer, and the dialogue shows the move that saves you: repeat the directions back before you walk away.
Key phrases to steal
| Spanish | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Perdona, ¿me puedes ayudar? | Excuse me, can you help me? | The universal opener |
| Busco… | I'm looking for… | Simpler than "¿dónde está?" and just as clear |
| Sigue todo recto | Go straight ahead | What you'll hear — the most common instruction |
| Gira a la derecha / izquierda | Turn right / left | The other instruction that decides everything |
| ¿Está lejos? | Is it far? | The follow-up that tells you whether to walk |
| A ver si entiendo… | Let me see if I understand… | Repeat it back — your safety net |
Make it yours
Swap the pieces and the skeleton holds:
- The place: el aeropuerto, la parada de bus, un cajero (an ATM), la farmacia.
- The check: "¿a cuántos minutos está?" — how many minutes away is it?
- The rescue line: "Perdona, ¿me lo repites más despacio?" — for when the answer comes at native speed.
Airports, taxis, and everything about moving through a Spanish-speaking city have their own complete guide in Spanish for airports and transportation.
A regional note
In Spain you'll hear "coge la primera a la derecha" (take the first right) — but coger means something very different in Argentina and Mexico, where people say "toma" or "agarra" instead. As the asker you don't have to choose: stick with sigo, giro, and gracias, and understand whichever verb comes back.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I stop a stranger politely in Spanish?
'Perdona' (informal) or 'perdone' (formal), plus your question. 'Perdona, ¿me puedes ayudar?' works everywhere. You don't need long openings — the politeness is in the perdona and the gracias, not in the length.
What if I don't understand the directions?
Repeat them back simply, like the dialogue does: 'a ver si entiendo…' and say what you caught. People correct you naturally. '¿Me lo puedes repetir, más despacio?' — can you repeat that, more slowly? — is also completely normal to ask.
What direction words do I need to know first?
Five carry almost every answer: todo recto (straight ahead), a la derecha (to the right), a la izquierda (to the left), cerca/lejos (near/far), and enfrente de (across from). If you know those, you can follow most street directions.
You've read it. Now say it out loud.
Conversations like this one happen every week in live classes with native teachers. That's where reading turns into speaking.
Practice It Live