Explore cómo pedir información turística en español usando expresiones clave como "Por qué" y "Porque" para preguntar y explicar, aprendiendo vocabulario útil como "oficina de turismo", "direcciones" y "entradas" en un contexto urbano.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (18) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Ver una exposición
Visiting an exhibition
2
La calle peatonal
The pedestrian street
3
Mandar una postal
To send a postcard
4
El mercado local
The local market
5
El monumento
The monument
Ejercicio 2: Conversation exercise
Instrucción:
- Describe what this tourist in Copenhagen is doing in the pictures. (Describe what this tourist in Copenhagen is doing in the pictures.)
- What could the person say in any of the situations? (What could the person say in any of the situations?)
- Do you still send postcards from your holidays? To whom do you send them? (Do you still send postcards from your holidays? To whom do you send them?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
La mujer toma un taxi. The woman takes a taxi. |
Consulté las indicaciones en el mapa. I looked up the directions on the map. |
¿Me puede decir cómo llegar al monumento? Can you tell me how to get to the monument? |
¿Tienes descuento para estudiantes? Do you have a student discount? |
Uso mi teléfono para llegar al museo. I use my phone to navigate to the museum. |
¿Puedes hacerme una foto? Can you take a picture of me? |
Tengo que enviar una postal a mi familia. I have to send a postcard to my family. |
... |
Exercise 3: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 4: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Esta mañana ____ visitado el centro histórico y he aprendido mucho sobre la ciudad.
(This morning ____ visited the historic center and I have learned a lot about the city.)2. ¿Por qué ____ perdido? ¿No has consultado el plano del metro?
(Why ____ lost your way? Haven’t you checked the subway map?)3. ____ mucho por las calles peatonales para conocer mejor la ciudad cosmopolita.
(____ a lot through the pedestrian streets to better get to know the cosmopolitan city.)4. ____ un taxi porque hacía mucho calor y estábamos cansados de caminar.
(____ a taxi because it was very hot and we were tired of walking.)Exercise 5: As a tourist in the city
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Visitar - To visit
Pretérito perfecto
- yo he visitado
- tú has visitado
- él/ella/usted ha visitado
- nosotros/nosotras hemos visitado
- vosotros/vosotras habéis visitado
- ellos/ellas/ustedes han visitado
Coger - To take
Pretérito perfecto
- yo he cogido
- tú has cogido
- él/ella/usted ha cogido
- nosotros/nosotras hemos cogido
- vosotros/vosotras habéis cogido
- ellos/ellas/ustedes han cogido
Perderse - To get lost
Pretérito perfecto
- yo me he perdido
- tú te has perdido
- él/ella/usted se ha perdido
- nosotros/nosotras nos hemos perdido
- vosotros/vosotras os habéis perdido
- ellos/ellas/ustedes se han perdido
Caminar - To walk
Pretérito perfecto
- yo he caminado
- tú has caminado
- él/ella/usted ha caminado
- nosotros/nosotras hemos caminado
- vosotros/vosotras habéis caminado
- ellos/ellas/ustedes han caminado
Hacer - To do/make
Pretérito perfecto
- yo he hecho
- tú has hecho
- él/ella/usted ha hecho
- nosotros/nosotras hemos hecho
- vosotros/vosotras habéis hecho
- ellos/ellas/ustedes han hecho
Consultar - To consult
Pretérito perfecto
- yo he consultado
- tú has consultado
- él/ella/usted ha consultado
- nosotros/nosotras hemos consultado
- vosotros/vosotras habéis consultado
- ellos/ellas/ustedes han consultado
Exercise 6: La diferencia entre "Por qué" y "Porque"
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: The difference between "Por qué" and "Porque"
Show translation Show answerspor qué, Por qué, porque
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
A2.7.2 Gramática
La diferencia entre "Por qué" y "Porque"
The difference between "Por qué" and "Porque"
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Visitar to visit Share Copied!
Pretérito perfecto
Spanish | English |
---|---|
(yo) he visitado | I have visited |
(tú) has visitado | You have visited |
(él/ella) ha visitado | he/she has visited |
(nosotros/nosotras) hemos visitado | we have visited |
(vosotros/vosotras) habéis visitado | you have visited |
(ellos/ellas) han visitado | they have visited |
Perderse to get lost Share Copied!
Pretérito perfecto
Spanish | English |
---|---|
(yo) me he perdido | I have got lost |
(tú) te has perdido | you have got lost |
(él/ella) se ha perdido | he/she has got lost |
(nosotros/nosotras) nos hemos perdido | we have got lost |
(vosotros/vosotras) os habéis perdido | You have got lost |
(ellos/ellas) se han perdido | they have gotten lost |
Caminar to walk Share Copied!
Pretérito perfecto
Spanish | English |
---|---|
(yo) he caminado | I have walked |
(tú) has caminado | You have walked |
(él/ella) ha caminado | he/she has walked |
(nosotros/nosotras) hemos caminado | we have walked |
(vosotros/vosotras) habéis caminado | You have walked |
(ellos/ellas) han caminado | they have walked |
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Lesson Overview: As a Tourist in the City
This lesson focuses on practical Spanish language skills useful for tourists exploring a city, specifically Madrid. It is designed for A2 level learners and covers commonly used expressions, key verb conjugations, and important distinctions in Spanish grammar that regularly arise in everyday tourist situations.
Key Topics Covered
- Practical dialogues for common tourist interactions, such as asking for information at the tourism office, requesting directions on the street, and buying tickets for transport or museums.
- Understanding the difference between "Por qué" and "Porque". This distinction is essential for asking questions and giving explanations effectively.
- Essential verbs in the present perfect tense (Pretérito perfecto), allowing learners to talk about recent experiences, such as visiting places or buying tickets.
- Useful vocabulary related to tourism and city navigation, including terms like billete (ticket), catedral (cathedral), and visitas guiadas (guided tours).
Examples and Highlights
Key expressions help you interact naturally when traveling in a Spanish city:
- Buenos días, ¿me puede ayudar? – Used to politely ask for help at the tourist office.
- ¿Por qué no hay visitas guiadas hoy? – Asking for reasons (“Why are there no guided tours today?”).
- Porque hay una fiesta local y están organizando el evento. – Giving explanations (“Because there's a local festival and they're organizing the event.”).
- Disculpe, ¿por qué no encuentro el mercado central? – Asking for directions with a reason.
- Porque la ciudad es amplia y hay mucho que ver a pie. – Explaining reasons for walking a lot.
Grammar Focus: "Por qué" vs. "Porque" and Present Perfect Tense
"Por qué" is used to ask questions, equivalent to "why" in English. For example, ¿Por qué está tan lejos? means "Why is it so far?".
"Porque" is used to provide reasons or explanations and is equivalent to "because". For example, Porque la ciudad es grande. means "Because the city is large."
The lesson also emphasizes the use of the present perfect tense, which is formed with the auxiliary verb haber plus the past participle. This tense is commonly used in Spanish to talk about recent actions or experiences.
Examples: He visitado (I have visited), Nos hemos perdido (We have gotten lost), Ha hecho (He/she has taken/made).
Differences Between English and Spanish to Note
In Spanish, the present perfect tense is more commonly used to describe actions that have occurred recently and have a connection to the present moment, compared to English where the simple past is often used. For example, Spanish learners often say He visitado el museo (I have visited the museum) instead of just the simple past.
The distinction between por qué (why) and porque (because) is crucial to avoid confusion in conversation and is explicitly covered in this lesson.
Useful Phrases and Vocabulary
- billete – ticket
- museo – museum
- parque central – central park
- visitas guiadas – guided tours
- plaza – square or plaza
- perderse – to get lost
- consultar el plano – to consult the map
This study guide provides all the vocabulary and grammar explanations needed to prepare for the dialogues and exercises behind the payment wall, acting as a comprehensive resource for practicing how to navigate the city, ask for information, and talk about your tourist experiences confidently in Spanish.