Pralingo

Spanish · A1 · Listening

Directions

You already know the words for finding your way: right, left, straight on, next to, opposite. Now it is about understanding spoken directions – step by step, so that in the end you know where to go.

Questions and answers

People almost always ask with ¿Dónde está ...? or ¿Cómo llego a ...?: Perdón, ¿dónde está la farmacia? The answer usually has two parts: first the way, then the exact location: Sigue todo recto. Está al lado del banco.

The way: step by step

You hear the steps in the right order, often joined with y or después: Sigue todo recto y después gira a la derecha. With hasta (as far as, up to) – as in hasta luego – you say how far to go: Sigue todo recto hasta la plaza.

Streets are counted: Gira en la segunda calle a la izquierda. So don't turn into the first street, only into the second one.

The destination: where exactly?

At the end you often hear where exactly the place is: El museo está enfrente del parque. El hotel está entre la iglesia y el restaurante. And whether it is far: Está muy cerca, a cinco minutos a pie.

Listening tip

Draw the route in your head while you listen: every gira, sigue or cruza adds a step. Pay special attention to derecha and izquierda – and to numbers like primera or segunda.

Examples

  • Perdón, ¿dónde está la farmacia?
  • Sigue todo recto y después gira a la derecha.
  • Gira en la segunda calle a la izquierda.
  • El museo está enfrente del parque.

Exercises

A1ListeningDirections

Exercise 1 of 7

Question, way or destination?

Sort each sentence by its role in the directions.

Directions almost always have these three parts.

Gira a la derecha.
¿Dónde está la farmacia?
Está al lado del banco.
Sigue todo recto.
Está enfrente del parque.
¿Cómo llego a la estación?
Cruza la calle.
Está entre el banco y el hotel.
¿Está lejos?
Gira en la segunda calle a la izquierda.
Está muy cerca.

Asking the way

Showing the way

Saying where the place is

A1ListeningDirections

Exercise 2 of 7

Which way?

Listen to the directions and choose the matching arrows.

Click 🔊. ↑ = straight on, → = right, ← = left. The arrows are in the order of the steps.

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A1ListeningDirections

Exercise 3 of 7

Saying the way yourself

Write the missing word.

→ = Gira a la .
← = Gira a la .
↑ = Sigue todo .
2.ª calle → = Gira en la calle a la derecha.
A1ListeningDirections

Exercise 4 of 7

Where is the pharmacy?

Complete the conversation. Afterwards you can listen to it.

— Perdón, ¿dónde está la farmacia?
— Sigue todo y gira en la calle a la izquierda.
— ¿Está ?
— No, está muy cerca. Está del banco.
— Muchas gracias.
A1ListeningDirections

Exercise 5 of 7

Where is the destination?

Listen to the conversation and choose the sentence that is true.

Click 🔊. Pay special attention to the last sentence: it says where the place is.

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A1ListeningDirections

Exercise 6 of 7

The way to the station

Put the conversation in the right order.

A tourist asks the way in the street. She speaks first.

Finally, the directions get a little longer. Follow the steps in your head – from the start to the destination.

A1ListeningDirections

Exercise 7 of 7

Understanding the whole route

Listen to the directions and choose the right summary.

Click 🔊. In the wrong answers, one detail is always different.

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