Telling a taxi driver where to go: Directions at arrival
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Key Phrases
Buenas tardes. ¿Está libre?
Good afternoon. Are you free?
Voy a la calle Mayor, número doce.
I'm going to Mayor Street, number twelve.
Pare aquí, por favor.
Stop here, please.
Skills You'll Learn
Greeting someone politely and starting a short taxi conversation
Saludar con cortesía y empezar una conversación breve en un taxi
Giving a destination and address clearly
Decir un destino y una dirección con claridad
Giving simple directions and asking to stop at the right place
Dar instrucciones sencillas y pedir que pare en el lugar correcto
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you are taking a taxi in Spain and giving the driver simple directions to your destination in the city center.
Buenas tardes. ¿Está libre?
Good afternoon. Are you free?
Sí, claro. Suba, por favor.
Yes, of course. Get in, please.
Gracias. Voy a la calle Mayor, número doce.
Thank you. I'm going to Mayor Street, number twelve.
Muy bien. ¿En el centro?
Very good. In the city center?
Sí, cerca de la plaza.
Yes, near the square.
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
Buenas
BWEH-nahs
Good (used in greetings)
Tardes
TAR-des
Afternoons; used in greetings to mean good afternoon
Buenas tardes.
BWEH-nahs TAR-des
Good afternoon.
¿Está libre?
eh-STAH LEE-breh
Are you free?
💬 [Está] uses the polite [usted] form here. You'll hear this a lot with strangers in Spain in service situations: [¿Está libre?], [¿Quiere ir por aquí?], [Pare aquí, por favor].
🇪🇸 This is the normal way to ask a taxi driver if the cab is available. It's brief and polite, and much more natural than a fuller sentence like asking if they are available to take you.
See breakdown →Sí, claro.
see KLAH-roh
Yes, of course.
Suba
SOO-bah
Get in / Come up
💬 [Suba] is the polite command form, used with [usted]. In Spain, drivers often use this form with passengers: compare [sube] for someone you address as [tú].
🇪🇸 A taxi driver saying [Suba] is normal and not rude. In this setting, direct instructions are standard and [por favor] just softens them a little.
See breakdown →Por favor
por fah-BOR
Please
Suba, por favor.
SOO-bah por fah-BOR
Get in, please.
💬 [Suba] is the polite command form used with [usted]. The same pattern shows up in taxi directions too: [Gire a la derecha], [Pare aquí].
See breakdown →Gracias.
GRAH-thyahs
Thank you.
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