¿Dónde está el hospital?
To say "where is the hospital" in Spanish, use ¿Dónde está el hospital?
This phrase is used to ask for the location of a hospital.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ¿Dónde (where), está (is – location) and el hospital (the hospital).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, ¿Dónde está el hospital? is commonly used. In Argentina, you may hear ¿Me decís dónde queda el hospital? to mean "Can you tell me where the hospital is located?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb está is the third-person singular form of estar, which is the specific form of the verb "to be" used for locations.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using es when asking for a location. English speakers often mistakenly use es (from the verb ser) instead of está (from the verb estar).
Did you know?
- The Spanish word hospital is a doublet of hostal, meaning they both evolved from the same Latin root hospitālis. While one now refers to medical care, the other refers to a guesthouse or hostel.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to add por favor to the end of ¿Dónde está el hospital? to avoid sounding demanding. Simply stating the location request without a polite marker can be perceived as blunt.
Examples in context
- ¿Dónde está el hospital?Where is the hospital?This example shows how to use the phrase ¿Dónde está el hospital?Tatoeba #2465765 by teskmon, translation #2063647 by CC
- Perdone, ¿dónde está el hospital?Excuse me, where is the hospital?
Example conversation
A man is asking a woman for directions on the street.
- LucíaDisculpe, ¿dónde está el hospital?Excuse me, where is the hospital?
- DanielEstá al final de esta calle.It is at the end of this street.
- LucíaMuchas gracias por su ayuda.Thank you very much for your help.
- DanielDe nada, que le vaya bien.You're welcome, take care.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dónde, el, hospital, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
