Spanish · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 9 of 12
Directions and transport
Indicaciones y transporte
Buy a train ticket in Spanish, understand delays and platforms, and give and follow instructions with the imperative for tú and usted.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Buy a single or return train ticket
- Understand information about delays, platforms and changing trains
- Give and understand instructions with the imperative (tú and usted)
Listen
Beatriz is at the ticket office of the train station in Córdoba. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Beatriz
Buenos días. Un billete para Sevilla, por favor.
Good morning. A ticket to Seville, please.
Ticket clerk
¿De ida o de ida y vuelta?
Single or return?
Beatriz
De ida y vuelta. Vuelvo el viernes por la tarde.
Return. I'm coming back on Friday afternoon.
Ticket clerk
Muy bien. El próximo tren sale a las diez y veinte, pero hoy tiene un retraso de quince minutos.
All right. The next train leaves at twenty past ten, but today it's fifteen minutes late.
Beatriz
No pasa nada. ¿Tengo que cambiar de tren?
That's fine. Do I have to change trains?
Ticket clerk
No, es directo. Son treinta y dos euros.
No, it's direct. That's thirty-two euros.
Beatriz
Aquí tiene. ¿De qué vía sale?
Here you are. Which platform does it leave from?
Ticket clerk
Todavía no lo sabemos. Mire la pantalla, allí.
We don't know yet. Look at the screen, over there.
Beatriz
Vale. Y perdone, ¿dónde están los baños?
OK. And excuse me, where are the toilets?
Ticket clerk
Siga todo recto y luego gire a la derecha. Están al lado de la cafetería.
Go straight on and then turn right. They're next to the café.
Beatriz
Muchas gracias.
Thank you very much.
Ticket clerk
De nada. ¡Buen viaje!
You're welcome. Have a good trip!
Understand
Telling people what to do: the imperative
The “imperative” is the verb form for instructions and directions. For , most verbs simply use the / form of the present: (take), (look), (carry on).
For , the vowel of the ending swaps: -ar verbs take -e, and -er and -ir verbs take -a. Start from the form of the present and drop the -o: → , → , → . You already know and (excuse me) from A1: they're imperatives too.
For , add -n to the form: , .
| Infinitive | English | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| look | |||
| turn | |||
| take | |||
| take (a bus, a train) | |||
| carry on, follow | |||
| go down, get off |
Irregular imperatives
Some very common verbs have short, irregular forms. Their forms still come from the form of the present: → , → . is completely irregular: (), ().
Pronouns are joined to the end of an imperative, and a written accent keeps the stress in the same place: (Look at it).
| Infinitive | English | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| go | |||
| come | |||
| go out, leave | |||
| do, make | |||
| have, take (here you are) | |||
| put | |||
| say, tell |
At the station
In Spain, you'll hear (literally “the track”) for the platform number: . The platform you stand on is .
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| a single ticket | |
| a return ticket | |
| the next train | |
| / | platform |
| delay | |
| to change trains | |
| / | departure, exit / arrival |
More in the grammar: The imperative: giving instructions
New words
- el billeteticket · masculine; Latin America:
- de idasingle (ticket)
- de ida y vueltareturn (ticket)
- próximo / próximanext
- el retrasodelay · masculine; : to be late
- cambiar de trento change trains
- directo / directadirect
- la víaplatform (number), track · feminine
- mirelook · imperative of ; :
- la pantallascreen · feminine
- seguirto carry on, to follow · , …; : go straight on
- girarto turn
- la cafeteríacafé · feminine
- ¡Buen viaje!Have a good trip!
Practise
1.Tell a friend () to take the bus.
2.Complete with the imperative of .
Turn left.
3.Tell a friend () to come here. Use .
Come here, please.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.Go straight on and turn right.
5.Match the Spanish with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
6.The ticket clerk says What should you do?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Un billete de ida y vuelta para Sevilla, por favor.
A return ticket to Seville, please.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.