Location and Directions in Catalan

Overview

Being able to ask for and give directions is a vital survival skill at the A1 level. Catalan uses a combination of prepositions, location words, and imperative verb forms to describe where things are and how to get somewhere.

The key question is On és...? (Where is...?). Answers use location adverbs like aquí (here), allà (there), a prop (nearby), and lluny (far), as well as preposition phrases like a la dreta (on the right) and a l'esquerra (on the left).

For giving directions, Catalan uses the imperative or instructional present: Gira a la dreta (Turn right), Vés tot recte (Go straight ahead). These patterns are simple but powerful enough to navigate any Catalan-speaking area.

How It Works

Location Words

Catalan	English
aquí	here
allà / allí	there
a prop	nearby
lluny	far
a la dreta	on the right
a l'esquerra	on the left
tot recte	straight ahead
al final	at the end
a la cantonada	at the corner
al costat de	next to
davant de	in front of
darrere de	behind
entre	between

Direction Verbs

Catalan	English
girar	to turn
seguir	to continue/follow
creuar	to cross
pujar	to go up
baixar	to go down
anar tot recte	to go straight

Asking for Directions

Catalan	English
On és l'estació?	Where is the station?
Com s'hi va?	How do you get there?
És lluny?	Is it far?
Perdoni, on és...?	Excuse me, where is...?

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
On és l'estació?	Where is the station?	Basic question
El supermercat és a prop.	The supermarket is nearby.	Location
Gira a la dreta.	Turn right.	Direction
És al final del carrer.	It's at the end of the street.	Precise location
Vés tot recte i després gira a l'esquerra.	Go straight and then turn left.	Combined directions
La farmàcia és al costat del banc.	The pharmacy is next to the bank.	Relative position
Creua la plaça.	Cross the square.	Imperative
El museu és davant de l'església.	The museum is in front of the church.	Spatial relation
No és gaire lluny.	It's not very far.	Distance
Puja el carrer fins a la cantonada.	Go up the street to the corner.	Combined instruction

Common Mistakes

Confusing "dreta" and "esquerra"

• Tip: Associate dreta (right) with "direct/right" and esquerra (left) with something different.
• Why: These are easily confused in the stress of asking for directions. Practice pointing while saying them.

Forgetting "de" after location prepositions

• Wrong: davant l'església
• Right: davant de l'església
• Why: Most Catalan location words require "de" before the noun: davant de, darrere de, al costat de.

Using "ser" instead of "estar" for object location

• Wrong: El museu és aquí. (for physical position)
• Right: El museu està aquí.
• Why: For the physical location of specific places and objects, use estar. (Though for defining where a permanent place is, ser can sometimes work.)

Practice Tips

1. Practice giving directions in your neighborhood using Google Maps in Catalan. Describe the route from your home to the nearest shop.
2. Learn the location prepositions in pairs of opposites: davant/darrere (front/back), dreta/esquerra (right/left), a prop/lluny (near/far).
3. Role-play with a partner: one person asks "On és...?" and the other gives directions using turns and landmarks.

Related Concepts

• Basic Prepositions — the prepositions used in location expressions
• Contractions and Elision — contractions like "al" and "del" in direction phrases