Asking for Directions

Getting lost in a new city stops being stressful the moment you can walk up to someone and ask the way in Spanish.

What you'll learn

This topic follows Sofía, a traveler who has lost her way, and Andrés, a helpful local who guides her to the Museo de Arte Nacional. Along the route you'll pick up dozens of useful words and phrases for finding your way: understanding instructions like Siga derecho, using the semáforo and other landmarks to stay on track, and deciding whether to walk or tomar el bus. They're the phrases you'll reach for on vacation, on a study trip, or any day you explore a Spanish-speaking city without a map in hand.

How the practice works

Each quiz unfolds like a text-message exchange between two people. You follow the conversation line by line, assembling sentences from words as you go, which trains your grammar and word order without any drills. Native-speaker audio accompanies each line, so your ear learns the rhythm of real spoken Spanish at the same time. Sessions take just a few minutes, and you can replay any quiz whenever you want a refresher.

A block by any other name

Here's a detail that surprises many learners: in Latin America, street distances are usually given in cuadras, city blocks, rather than in meters. The word comes from the Spanish for "square," a nod to the neat grid layout of colonial cities. And in several countries, a block goes by another name entirely: una manzana, the very same word used for "apple."