Spanish · Travel & Getting Around
"Where is…?" in Spanish: ¿Dónde está…?
¿Dónde está…?
Where is…? in Spanish is ¿Dónde está…? Use está for location now. Keep the accent on dónde.
Finding a bathroom
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How to pronounce ¿Dónde está…?
Say it
DOHN-deh ehs-TAH
/ˈdon.de es.ˈta/
DOHN-deh ehs-TAH. Stress DOHN and TAH.
"Where is…?" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Dónde está…? | Where is…? Finding a place or person now. | Finding a place or person now. |
| ¿Dónde queda…? | Where is… located? Very common for places. | Very common for places. |
| ¿Dónde está el baño? | Where is the bathroom? Classic traveler line. | Classic traveler line. |
| Disculpe, ¿dónde está…? | Excuse me, where is…? Polite opener with strangers. | Polite opener with strangers. |
How to use ¿Dónde está…? in real life
- 1Finding a bathroom
¿Dónde está el baño?
Where is the bathroom?
Starter line with dónde está.
- 2Lost downtown
Disculpe, ¿dónde está la estación?
Excuse me, where is the station?
Disculpe softens dónde está.
- 3Meeting up
¿Dónde está tu hotel?
Where is your hotel?
Dónde está for a known place.
Mistakes English speakers make with ¿Dónde está…?
Incorrect: Donde esta el metro? (no accents, no ¿?)
Correct: ¿Dónde está el metro?
Write ¿Dónde está…? with accents and marks.
Incorrect: ¿Dónde es el baño?
Correct: ¿Dónde está el baño?
Location now uses está, not es, with dónde.
Good to know
Start with disculpe on the street. ¿Dónde queda…? sounds very natural for buildings and shops.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Asking for a pharmacy
ChatPal
¿Dónde está la farmacia más cercana?
Where is the nearest pharmacy?
You
No sé. ¿Dónde está esa calle?
I don't know. Where is that street?
ChatPal
Dos cuadras a la izquierda.
Two blocks to the left.
You
Gracias. Voy allá.
Thanks. I'm going there.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Where is…?" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Where is…?" in Spanish
Why the accent on dónde?
Question dónde needs the accent. Donde without accent is not the question word.
Dónde está or dónde es?
Use dónde está for where something is right now.
Is ¿dónde está…? formal?
Neutral. Add disculpe or usted for strangers.
Dónde está or dónde queda?
Both ask where a place is. Queda is very common for buildings.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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