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The key rules of this unit in two minutes. Tap the speaker to hear each example.
Location uses “estar”
To say where something is, Spanish uses “estar”, not “ser”: ¿Dónde está…? / Está cerca.
- ¿Dónde está el banco?Where is the bank?
- El hotel está cerca.The hotel is close by.
“Hay”: there is, there are
“Hay” means both “there is” and “there are”, and it never changes.
- ¿Hay un supermercado aquí?Is there a supermarket here?
- Hay dos hoteles.There are two hotels.
a + el = al, de + el = del
Two small words merge when they meet “el”: a + el becomes al, de + el becomes del. With “la” nothing changes.
- Voy al museo.I’m going to the museum.
- Está cerca del hotel.It’s near the hotel.
By train, on foot
Transport takes “en”: en tren, en autobús. Walking is the exception: a pie.
- Voy en tren.I’m going by train.
- Voy a pie.I’m walking.