Giving Simple Directions - Part 1

Learn how to give simple directions to people

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Lesson Transcript

Hola, ¿qué tal? Soy Brenda Romaniello, tu profesora de español.

Hello and welcome to your Spanish class. My name is Brenda Romaniello and I’m your Spanish teacher.

Today, we’re going to have a look at some directions in Spanish, yes.

We’re going to look at how to give simple directions in Spanish. That is the class for today.

So, we’re going to start this class having a look at a dialogue.

So, let’s say that we have a student who’s looking for the library in Spanish.

The question is:

¿Dónde está la biblioteca?

“Where is the library?”

Ve derecho.

Ve derecho. La biblioteca queda a tu izquierda.

La biblioteca queda a tu izquierda.

So, go straight or go forward and the library is on your left.

¿Dónde está la biblioteca?

Ve derecho. La biblioteca queda a la izquierda.

“Where is the library?”

“Go straight. The library is to your left.”

¡Muy bien! “Very well!”

So, in order to have a look at some simple directions, first, let’s start with the different directions. We’re gonna start with the vocabulary today and we’re gonna have a look at the different directions in Spanish.

So, if we want to go forward, yes, straight, straight / forward in Spanish, repeat after me, we’re going to say derecho.

Derecho

Then, if you want to go left, we’re going to say izquierda.

Izquierda

And if you want to go right, we’re going to say derecha.

Derecha

Okay. So, pay attention, it’s very similar.

We have “straight” or “going forward” is derecho.

“Right” is going to be derecha.

So, one ends in O, one ends in A, and, you know, they mean different things, so we have to be very careful. You don’t wanna say “straight” when you wanna say “right” and the other way, right? So, we’re gonna say derecho, derecha.

Derecho

Derecha

Perfecto, muy bien. “Very good job.”

Let’s continue now with some vocabulary of things that we can have as an example, yes, to show some location, some places.

For example, we have biblioteca.

Biblioteca

La biblioteca is “the library.”

Banco

El Banco is “the bank.”

Supermercado

El supermercado is “the supermarket.”

So, we’re gonna have a look at some structure and then we’ll have a look at some examples, so you know exactly how to give and also ask for simple directions in Spanish.

So, we’re going to use, as we can see here in the dialogue, we’re saying ve derecho.

Ve derecho.

So, ve significa “go,” okay?

Ve derecho.

So, we’re gonna ve, followed by dirección. So it can be one of these directions that we were looking into before, okay? So, it could be derecho, izquierda, or derecha, okay?

And then, we’re gonna say luego and then dobla a la, okay? So, dobla a la significa “then turn” to the right or left.

“Right” ¿Cómo se dice? derecha.

“Left,” izquierda.

Luego dobla a la derecha.

Luego dobla a la izquierda.

“And then turn right” or “and then turn left.”

In Spanish, the literal translation is “to the right, turn to the left, turn to the right.” Muy bien.

And then we are going to mention the place.

La biblioteca, por ejemplo, sí, for example, “the library,” la biblioteca queda a tu [right] or [left].

So, the library is to your, sí, or on your “right” derecha, izquierda is “left.”

Okay. So, remember, dobla significa “to turn,” yes. Dobla means “turn” in Spanish, so turn “right” or “left” izquierda o derecha, and queda, sí, to talk about the place, where it is located. We’re gonna say the place, queda a tu, so the place is “on your,” and then we’re gonna say “right” or “left,” sí, derecha o izquierda.

Vamos a ver otros ejemplos.

Let’s have a look at some examples.

So, let’s go to the initial question that we started this lesson with.

¿Dónde está la biblioteca?

“Where is the library?”

And remember, we’re gonna have to use this structure.

Well, we’re gonna say ve.

Ve significa “go,” remember?

Luego, sí, and then you’re gonna give the direction.

Then you can say something like luego “and then” dobla a la [left] or [right], okay?

So, luego “and then” dobla “turn” to your left or your right.

Por ejemplo, en la esquina “in the corner.”

Esquina significa “corner,” esquina.

We’re gonna see it in an example, esquina.

And then you can mention the place, sí, in this case, la biblioteca queda a tu [right] or [left].

So, the library is on your left or right.

So, let’s have a look at some examples adding all these vocabulary, “go,” and then “corner,” “right or left,” etc.

¿Dónde está la biblioteca?

“Where is the library?”

Let’s have a look at this example.

Ve derecho.

Ve derecho. Luego dobla a la derecha…

Ve derecho. Luego dobla a la derecha en la esquina.

En la esquina. Recuerdas, esquina.

La biblioteca queda a tu izquierda.

Ve derecho. Luego dobla a la derecha en la esquina. La biblioteca queda a tu izquierda.

Okay.

So, go straight or go forward. And then, luego “and then” dobla a la derecha, “turn right,” “at the corner,” en la esquina.

Luego dobla a la derecha en la esquina.

“And then turn right at the corner” or on the corner.

La biblioteca queda a tu izquierda.

“The library is on your left.”

¡Perfecto! ¿Pudiste comprender este ejemplo?

Were you able to understand this example?

I really hope so.

Okay, let’s have a look now, another example and this time, we’re going to look for the supermarket, el supermercado.

¿Dónde está el supermercado?

“Where is the supermarket?”

Let’s have a look.

Ve a la derecha.

“Go right.”

Luego dobla a la derecha…

I was doing this. I always have my left and right confused. Let’s go again.

Ve a la derecha.

Yes, go right.

Luego dobla a la derecha en la esquina…

“And then turn right at the corner.”

Y ve derecho.

Sí, ve derecho.

“Go forward” or “go straight.”

El supermercado queda a tu izquierda.

“The supermarket is on your left.”

Otra vez.

Ve a la derecha. Luego dobla a la derecha en la esquina, y ve derecho. El supermercado queda a tu izquierda.

¡Perfecto! Y vamos a ver el último ejemplo.

Let’s have a look at the last example for today. We are looking for el banco, sí, “the bank,” el banco.

¿Dónde está el banco?

Ve a la izquierda.

Sí, turn left or go left.

Luego dobla a la derecha.

“And then turn right.”

Dobla a la izquierda…

“Turn left…”

El banco queda a tu derecha.

Sí, “The bank is on your right.”

Let’s go again.

¿Dónde está el banco?

Ve a la izquierda. Luego dobla a la derecha. Dobla a la izquierda. El banco queda a tu derecha.

Muy bien, perfecto.

Very good job.

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