Finding the main entrance | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: Inside a station, one adult asks how to reach the main entrance and follows signs past the ticket gate..

EN → ES / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Finding the main entrance to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Disculpe, ¿por dónde se llega a la entrada principal?

dees-KOOL-peh, por DON-deh seh YEH-gah ah lah en-TRAH-dah preen-see-PAHL? Excuse me, which way leads to the main entrance?
B

Siga las señales amarillas hacia el vestíbulo principal.

SEE-gah lahs seh-NYAH-lehs ah-mah-REE-yahs AH-syah el veh-STEH-boo-lo preen-see-PAHL. Follow the yellow signs toward the main hall.
A

¿Debo tomar las escaleras mecánicas después de pasar el control de billetes?

DEH-boh toh-MAHR lahs ehs-kah-LEH-rahs meh-KAH-nee-kahs dehs-PWEHS deh pah-SAHR el kon-TROHL deh bee-YEH-tehs? Should I take the escalator after the ticket gate?
B

Suba por las escaleras mecánicas y luego gire a la derecha.

SOO-bah por lahs ehs-kah-LEH-rahs meh-KAH-nee-kahs ee LWEH-goh HEE-reh ah lah deh-REH-chah. Take it upstairs, then turn right.
A

¿Está lejos de aquí la entrada principal?

ehs-TAH LEH-hos deh ah-KEE lah en-TRAH-dah preen-see-PAHL? Is the main entrance far from here?
B

Está a poca distancia caminando desde allí.

ehs-TAH ah POH-kah dees-TAHN-syah kah-mee-NAHN-doh DEHS-deh ah-YEE. It is a short walk from there.
A

Esta estación es un poco confusa.

EH-stah ehs-tah-SYOHN ehs oon POH-koh kon-FOO-sah. This station is a little confusing.
B

Las señales son más fáciles de seguir arriba.

lahs seh-NYAH-lehs sohn mahs fah-SEEL-es deh seh-GEER ah-REE-bah. The signs are easier to follow upstairs.

Word by Word

Disculpe “Disculpe” is a polite way to say “excuse me” when getting a stranger’s attention. It is useful at the beginning of a question such as “Disculpe, ¿por dónde...?” when asking for help.
por “Por” marks the route or way in “por dónde”, meaning which way or by what route. A common direction pattern is “¿por dónde se llega a...?” followed by a destination.
dónde “Dónde” asks where, and in “por dónde” it asks which way or route. Use it in a question about a place or direction, such as “¿Dónde está...?” as a new example.
se “Se” is the impersonal marker in “se llega”, so the question asks generally how one reaches the entrance rather than naming a traveler. The reusable pattern is “se llega a” plus a destination.
llega “Llega” means reaches or leads in “se llega a la entrada principal”. It is the form of “llegar” used in this general route question; reuse “se llega a” with a place.
a “A” marks the destination after “se llega”: the route leads to the entrance. A common pattern is “llegar a” followed by a place.
la “La” introduces the singular feminine noun “entrada” in “la entrada principal”. Reuse it in the exact noun phrase “la entrada” when referring to that entrance.
entrada “Entrada” means entrance here, the place the traveler wants to reach. It combines naturally with a clarifying word in “la entrada principal” when asking about a particular entrance.
principal “Principal” identifies the entrance as the main one rather than another entrance. It follows the noun in “la entrada principal”; this phrase is useful when asking for the primary entrance.
Siga “Siga” is a polite instruction to follow something, addressed to one person. It is used with the thing being followed in “Siga las señales”, a practical way to give directions.
las “Las” introduces the plural feminine noun “señales” in “las señales amarillas”. Reuse it before “señales” when referring to the signs as a group.
señales “Señales” means signs, specifically the signs that guide the traveler through the station. A useful direction pattern is “seguir las señales” or giving the instruction “Siga las señales”.
amarillas “Amarillas” describes the signs as yellow in “las señales amarillas”. It helps identify which signs to follow, so “señales amarillas” is useful when several signs are visible.
hacia “Hacia” means toward and marks the direction of the destination in “hacia el vestíbulo principal”. Use it before a place when giving the general direction someone should take.
el “El” introduces the singular masculine noun “vestíbulo” in “el vestíbulo principal”. Reuse it before “vestíbulo” when referring to the main hall.
vestíbulo “Vestíbulo” means hall or lobby, the area toward which the signs lead. In a station, “el vestíbulo principal” identifies the main indoor hall.
Debo “Debo” expresses “should I” or “must I” in this question about taking the escalators. A useful question pattern is “¿Debo tomar...?” when asking whether a particular option is correct.
tomar “Tomar” means take or use here, referring to using the escalators as part of the route. After “Debo”, it stays in this infinitive form, as in “Debo tomar las escaleras mecánicas”.
escaleras “Escaleras” means stairs, and with “mecánicas” the phrase refers to escalators. In station directions, it appears in “las escaleras mecánicas” as the route option to use.
mecánicas “Mecánicas” describes the stairs as mechanical, forming the meaning “escalators” in “escaleras mecánicas”. The full phrase “las escaleras mecánicas” identifies this specific way to go upstairs.
después “Después” means after or afterward, placing one action later than another. In “después de pasar”, it introduces what happens after going through the ticket control.
de “De” links “después” to the action that follows in “después de pasar”. The reusable pattern is “después de” plus an action or event that has already happened.
pasar “Pasar” means pass or go through here, referring to going through the ticket control. It follows “después de” in “después de pasar el control de billetes”.
control “Control” means checkpoint or control point here, specifically the place connected with checking tickets. The station direction uses the phrase “pasar el control de billetes” for going through it.
billetes “Billetes” means tickets in “el control de billetes”, identifying what the checkpoint is for. This phrase is useful when asking about or locating a ticket checkpoint in a station.
Suba “Suba” is a polite instruction to go up, addressed to one person. In “Suba por las escaleras mecánicas”, it tells the traveler which route to take upstairs.
y “Y” means and, connecting the instruction to go up with the next instruction to turn. It is useful for linking consecutive directions, as in “Suba ... y luego ...”.
luego “Luego” means then and marks the next step in the route. The pattern “y luego” is useful when giving directions in sequence.
gire “Gire” is a polite instruction to turn, addressed to one person. It is followed by the direction in “gire a la derecha”, which tells the traveler where to turn.
derecha “Derecha” means right in “a la derecha”. The common direction pattern “gire a la derecha” tells someone to turn right.
Está “Está” means is or is located in the question about the entrance’s distance from the speaker. It is used with a location or distance expression in “está lejos de aquí”.
lejos “Lejos” means far and describes the distance to the main entrance. The reusable pattern is “estar lejos de” plus a place or reference point.
aquí “Aquí” means here, referring to the speaker’s current location in “lejos de aquí”. Use it when measuring a place’s distance from where the speaker is.
poca “Poca” indicates a small amount in “a poca distancia caminando”, so the walk is short. It is useful before “distancia” when describing a short distance.
distancia “Distancia” means distance in the phrase describing how far the entrance is from the indicated place. “A poca distancia” is a useful expression for saying that something is nearby.
caminando “Caminando” means walking and indicates that the distance is covered on foot. In “a poca distancia caminando”, it describes the way of traveling.
desde “Desde” means from and marks the starting point of the distance in “desde allí”. Use it before a place or point that serves as the origin.
allí “Allí” means there and refers to the place mentioned as the starting point of the walk. The pattern “desde allí” is useful when directing someone onward from a location.
Esta “Esta” means this and points to the nearby station in “Esta estación”. It is used before a singular feminine noun when identifying something close to the speaker.
estación “Estación” means station, the place where the speakers are giving and following directions. It combines with “esta” in “Esta estación” to identify the current station.
es “Es” means is and characterizes the station as confusing in “Esta estación es un poco confusa”. A common pattern is “X es” followed by a description of X.
un “Un” introduces the small amount in the expression “un poco”. Together with “poco”, it softens the description that follows.
poco “Poco” means a little in “un poco confusa”, making the description less strong. The reusable pattern is “un poco” plus an adjective for a mild degree.
confusa “Confusa” describes the station as confusing or difficult to understand. In “un poco confusa”, it gives a mild description of the station’s layout.
son “Son” means are and links “las señales” with their description in “son más fáciles de seguir”. It is used here because the subject refers to multiple signs.
más “Más” contributes the comparison in “más fáciles”, meaning easier than before or than another option. The reusable pattern is “más” plus an adjective when comparing ease or another quality.
fáciles “Fáciles” means easy, or easier with “más”, describing the signs in “más fáciles de seguir”. The pattern “fáciles de seguir” explains that the signs can be followed without much difficulty.
seguir “Seguir” means follow in “fáciles de seguir”, referring to following the station signs. It appears as an infinitive after the adjective and identifies the action that is easy to do.
arriba “Arriba” means upstairs or above and locates the easier-to-follow signs on the upper level. In “seguir arriba”, it gives the place where the signs can be followed more easily.

Grammar Points

Siga / Suba / Gire + ...

Siga las señales amarillas.

SEE-gah lahs seh-NYAH-lehs ah-mah-REE-yahs.

Follow the yellow signs.

Formal Spanish commands for usted often use special verb forms such as siga, suba, and gire.

se llega + a + lugar

Se llega a la estación.

seh YEH-gah ah lah ehs-tah-SYOHN.

You get to the station.

Impersonal se gives directions without naming the person who reaches a place.

Spanish Vocabulary

amarillo adj
ah-mah-REE-yoh yellow amarillas

las señales amarillas

después de prep
dehs-PWEHS deh after

después de pasar

disculpar verb
dees-kool-PAHR to excuse Disculpe

Disculpe

entrada noun
en-TRAH-dah entrance

la entrada principal

escalera mecánica noun
ehs-kah-LEH-rah meh-KAH-nee-kah escalator escaleras mecánicas

las escaleras mecánicas

hacia prep
AH-syah toward

hacia el vestíbulo principal

llegar verb
yeh-GAHR to get to; to reach se llega

por dónde se llega

principal adj
preen-see-PAHL main

la entrada principal

seguir verb
seh-GEER to follow Siga

Siga las señales

señal noun
seh-NYAHL sign señales

las señales amarillas

tomar verb
toh-MAHR to take

tomar las escaleras mecánicas

vestíbulo noun
veh-STEH-boo-lo hall; lobby

el vestíbulo principal

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

This station is a little confusing.

Show AnswerEsta estación es un poco confusa.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

toward

Show Answerhacia

to excuse

Show AnswerDisculpe

entrance

Show Answerentrada

yellow

Show Answeramarillas