Hover a line for its translation; hover a word for its meaning. Tap 🔊 to hear it.
Alex asks Sofía for directions to the train station, then confirms the route with a bus driver.
de + el always contracts to del (as in después del banco) — this is one of only two contractions in Spanish (the other, a + el = al, appears in a later lesson).
How do I read these pronunciations? See the pronunciation guide.
1. Estar — Location
Estar is the second Spanish verb for "to be" — unlike ser (identity/origin, Lesson 1), estar is used for location and temporary states. "Está" = it is / he/she is.
2. Prepositions of Place
These short phrases describe where something is relative to something else — you'll reuse all of them constantly when giving or following directions.
3. ¿Cómo llego a...? — Asking for Directions
This fixed question phrase is the standard way to ask how to get somewhere. Llego comes from the verb llegar ("to arrive"), but in this phrase it functions as "get to."
4. Poder — Asking Permission
Poder ("to be able to, can") is one of the most useful Spanish verbs. "Puedo" = I can. Use it to ask politely whether you're allowed to do something.
5. Informal Commands — súbete
Súbete is an informal (tú) command, telling someone to do something right now — you'll study commands more fully in Lesson 18. For now, just recognize this friendly, everyday form.
A. Fill in the Blank · Rellena el espacio
Fill in the blank with a word from this lesson's vocabulary.
- 1.¿Cómo a la estación de tren?do I get
- 2.Está de aquí.close/near
- 3.Camina todo .straight ahead
- 4.¿Puedo el autobús también?take
- 5.¿Dónde me ?get off
B. Multiple Choice · Opción múltiple
Choose the best answer.
- 1.How do you say "How do I get to the train station?" in Spanish?
- 2.How do you say "It's near here" in Spanish?
- 3.How do you say "Is it far?" in Spanish?
- 4.How do you say "Can I take the bus too?" in Spanish?
- 5.How do you say "It's on the right, after the bank" in Spanish?
C. Rearrange the Sentence · Ordena la frase
Rearrange the words into a correct sentence, adding the punctuation shown in parentheses.
- 1.Tap tiles below…
- 2.Tap tiles below…
- 3.Tap tiles below…
- 4.Tap tiles below…
- 5.Tap tiles below…
D. True or False · Verdadero o falso
Based on the dialogue, mark each sentence T (true) or F (false).
- 1.The train station is far from Sofía and Alex.
- 2.It takes ten minutes to walk to the station.
- 3.The bus stops on the corner.
- 4.The station is to the left of the bank.
- 5.The driver will let Alex know when to get off.
E. Matching · Empareja
Match each question on the left with the best response on the right.
F. Translation · Traducción
Translate items 1–3 into Spanish, and items 4–5 into English.
- 1.How do I get to the train station?
- 2.It's near here.
- 3.Is it far?
- 4.El autobús para en la esquina.
- 5.Te aviso cuando lleguemos.
Generate a brand-new dialog on any topic, using this lesson's 18 vocab words — plus any words you add below.
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Trains come in two kinds
Spanish rail splits into two systems that behave differently. Cercanías are local commuter trains: turn up, buy a ticket, get on. Long-distance and high-speed services are reserved seats on one specific departure, with a bag scan at the gate and boarding that closes a couple of minutes before the train moves, so arriving twenty minutes early is sensible rather than anxious. Spain built the longest high-speed network in Europe, which is why the train often beats flying between cities — and why the stations sit in the middle of town rather than outside it.