39 Expressing location and distance
This chapter examines all the various expressions used in Spanish to refer to location
and distance, including verbs such as estar, ‘to be’, prepositions, and other less
common forms.39.1 Expressing location
39.1.1 Estar
To ask and say where something or someone is, Spanish normally uses estar, ‘to be’.
Questions are usually introduced by the interrogative word¿dónde?‘where’?.¿Dónde está el cine?
Where is the cinema?
Está a dos manzanas de aquí.
It is two blocks from here.
Está a tres cuadras (L. Am.) de la catedral.
It’s three blocks from the cathedral.¿Dónde están los teléfonos?
Where are the telephones?
Están en la primera planta/el primer piso.
They are on the first floor.¿Dónde estabais?
Where were you?
Estábamos en el jardín.
We were in the garden.¿Dónde estaban las llaves?
Where were the keys?
Estaban debajo de la cama.
They were under the bed.If you are asking for directions, dónde and estar can be omitted, for example:¿Los lavabos/el baño? (L. Am.), por favor?
(Where are) the toilets, please?