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Asking for Directions

Learn how to ask where things are, understand directions, and navigate around town

Asking Where Things Are

¿Dónde está...? vs ¿Dónde queda...?

Both mean 'Where is...?' but they're used slightly differently. '¿Dónde está?' is the standard way to ask where something is located. '¿Dónde queda?' is more common in everyday Mexican Spanish when asking about buildings, places, or neighborhoods — it implies a fixed location.

¿Dónde está el baño?Where is the bathroom?
¿Dónde queda la farmacia?Where is the pharmacy? (implying its fixed location)

Giving Directions with Commands

When giving directions, Spanish uses informal commands (imperative). For regular -ar verbs, drop the -as and you get the command. For -er/-ir verbs, drop the -es. These are the tú commands you'll hear most often.

Camina derecho.Walk straight.
Cruza la calle.Cross the street.
Sigue derecho.Keep going straight.
Da vuelta a la izquierda.Turn left.

Places Around Town

Direction Words

Street Directions (Northern Mexico)

Asking for Help

Ready to Practice?

You're walking through a small town and you need to find the local market. You stop someone on the street to ask for directions. One person is the lost visitor, the other is a helpful local.

Start Lab: Finding the Market