Como turista en la ciudad
As a Tourist in the City
- Actividades comunes durante un viaje a la ciudad. (Common activities during a city trip.)
- Solicitando información en la oficina de turismo. (Asking information at the tourist office.)
- Conoce frases prácticas de supervivencia como turista para moverte por la ciudad. (Know practical survival phrases as a tourist to navigate in the city.)
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La diferencia entre
"Por qué" y"Porque" (The difference between "Por qué" and "Porque")
Learn practical Spanish for tourists in Madrid, including asking for information, directions, and buying tickets. Understand the difference between "por qué" (why) and "porque" (because), practice present perfect verb forms, and explore useful phrases for city navigation and cultural contexts.
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: Ejercicio de conversación
Instrucción:
- Describe lo que este turista en Copenhague está haciendo en las fotos. (Describe what this tourist in Copenhagen is doing in the pictures.)
- ¿Qué podría decir la persona en cualquiera de las situaciones? (What could the person say in any of the situations?)
- ¿Todavía envías postales de tus vacaciones? ¿A quién las envías? (Do you still send postcards from your holidays? To whom do you send them?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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La mujer toma un taxi. The woman takes a taxi. |
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Consulté las indicaciones en el mapa. I looked up the directions on the map. |
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¿Me puede decir cómo llegar al monumento? Can you tell me how to get to the monument? |
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¿Tienes descuento para estudiantes? Do you have a student discount? |
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Uso mi teléfono para llegar al museo. I use my phone to navigate to the museum. |
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¿Puedes hacerme una foto? Can you take a picture of me? |
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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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Discovering Madrid as a Tourist
This lesson focuses on practical Spanish language skills for tourists exploring the city of Madrid. You'll learn how to ask for and understand information about places to visit, get directions, and purchase tickets for transport or attractions. Key grammar structures include using "por qué" (why) and "porque" (because), which are crucial for forming questions and giving explanations.
Key dialogues
- Tourist information office: Practice asking for information about city attractions, understanding the reason behind unavailable tours, and receiving recommendations.
- Asking for directions on the street: Learn how to request and give directions to popular places like the cathedral, market, and theatre using proper polite phrases.
- Buying tickets and entrance passes: Understand how to inquire about prices, discounts, and ticket usage, including vocabulary related to transportation and museum visits.
Grammar highlights
The lesson emphasizes the difference between the interrogative phrase "por qué" and the causal conjunction "porque". For example, "¿Por qué no hay visitas guiadas hoy?" (Why are there no guided tours today?) versus "Porque hay una fiesta local." (Because there is a local festival.) This distinction is essential for clear communication.
Practical verb conjugations
You will practice common verbs in the pretérito perfecto (present perfect tense), such as he visitado (I have visited), hemos cogido (we have taken), or se ha perdido (he/she has gotten lost). These help narrate recent experiences in the city, which is often used when telling stories about travel.
Useful tips and cultural notes
Unlike English, Spanish uses two separate expressions for "why" and "because" to clarify questions versus answers. For example, "¿Por qué usas el autobús?" (Why do you use the bus?) and "Porque está lejos." (Because it is far away.) Useful phrases include "¿Me puede ayudar?" (Can you help me?), "¿Sabe dónde está...?" (Do you know where ... is?), and "Gracias" (Thank you), which are polite and essential in tourist situations.
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