logo
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class

855-997-4652LoginTry a Free Class

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
logo
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class

855-997-4652LoginTry a Free Class

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
November 30, 2021 by Alejandra Castellanos Spanish Vocabulary 0 comments

A Vocabulary Guide to Roads and Traffic in Spanish

Get ready to take a road trip with this awesome guide to roads in Spanish! 

Become your friend group’s guide with all these words and phrases about roads and traffic in Spanish and make the best out of your upcoming adventures. 

Driving Vocabulary

Whether you drive within your city or you plan a cross-country trip, this driving vocabulary is a must when talking about roads and traffic in Spanish!

EnglishSpanish
back seatel asiento trasero
blinkerla luz de emergencia
carel automóvil, el carro
carpoolcompartir el auto
driverel conductor, la conductora
driver’s licensela licencia de conducir
headlightslas luces altas
hornla bocina 
license platela placa del automóvil
passengerel pasajero, la pasajera
seatbeltel cinturón de seguridad
shotgunel copiloto
steering wheelel timón
turn signalel pidevías

Example Sentences in Spanish

Asegúrate de revisar el carro antes del viaje.
Be sure to check the car before the trip.

El conductor debe estar atento al camino. 
The driver must be aware of the road ahead.

Revisa la fecha de vencimiento de tu licencia de conducir.
Check the expiration date of your driver’s license.

Utiliza los pidevías antes de cada cruce.
Use the turn signals before each turn. 

roads in Spanish

Driving Verbs in Spanish

Here are some useful verbs to make your way along the roads in Spanish!

To Accelerate – Acelerar

Acelera el auto cuando la carretera esté libre.
Accelerate the car when the road is clear.

To Brake – Frenar

Frenar de golpe es peligroso.
Hitting the breaks all of a sudden is dangerous. 

To Change Lanes – Cambiarse de carril

Utiliza el retrovisor antes de cambiarte de carril.
Use your rearview mirror before changing lanes. 

To Cross the Street – Cruzar la calle

Mira hacia ambos lados antes de cruzar la calle.
Glance both ways before crossing the street.

To Decelerate – Desacelerar

Desacelera con cuidado en el semáforo.
Decelerate carefully at the stoplight.

To Drive – Manejar

Sé cuidadoso al manejar en carretera, por favor.
Be careful when driving along the road, please.

To Drive By – Pasar por

Pasé por un pueblo hermoso durante mi viaje.
I drove by a beautiful small town during my trip. 

To Have the Right of Way – Llevar la vía

Siempre debes saber si llevas la vía.
You should always know if you have the right of way.

To Honk – Bocinar

Bocinar es útil para advertir a otros conductores.
Honking is useful to warn other drivers.

To Pull Over – Orillarse

Debes orillar el auto si el motor falla.
You should pull over if your engine fails. 

example in Spanish

To Slow Down – Reducir la velocidad

Reduce la velocidad en los pasos peatonales.
Slow down at crosswalks.

To Speed Up – Aumentar la velocidad

Aumenta la velocidad si vas en el carril izquierdo.
Speed up if you’re in the left lane.

To Stop – Detenerse

Siempre debes detenerte ante un semáforo en rojo.
You always have to stop before a red light.

To Swerve – Cruzar abruptamente

Cruzar abruptamente es peligroso.
Swerving is dangerous.

Basic Road Vocabulary

Make the best out of your trips with your Spanish speaking friends by using these words about roads in Spanish!

EnglishSpanish
alternate routela ruta alterna
dead endel callejón sin salida
laneel carril
roadla carretera
road tripel viaje por carretera
road worktrabajos en carretera
speed limitel límite de velocidad
streetla calle

Example Sentences in Spanish

Revisa el mapa; no queremos llegar a un callejón sin salida.
Check the map; we don’t want to end up in a dead-end.

Mantén tu carril para evitar accidentes.
Stay in your lane to avoid accidents.

No conozco las carreteras de Guatemala.
I’m not familiar with Guatemala’s roads. 

No excedas el límite de velocidad, puede ser peligroso.
Don’t go over the speed limit, it might be dangerous.

roads in Spanish

Naming the Roads in Spanish

When I think of big countries like the United States, I can only think of the tons of long road trips I would like to take. Knowing how to refer to the roads—small or big—is important to make the best of your travels! 

Here are the names of the different types of roads in Spanish!

Country Roads

EnglishSpanish
country roadslas carreteras rurales
dirt roadslas carreteras de terracería
gas stationla gasolinera
off-rampla rampa de emergencia
railroad crossingel cruce de ferrocarril

Example Sentences in Spanish

Las carreteras rurales tienen paisajes increíbles.
Country roads have incredible landscapes.

Maneja con cuidado en las carreteras de terracería.
Drive carefully along the dirt roads.

Identifica las rampas de emergencia cuando manejes.
Spot the off-ramps when you’re driving.

Siempre debes detenerte antes de un cruce de ferrocarril.
You should always stop before a railroad crossing.

Be an expert traveler! See also: Useful Travel Phrases in Spanish: Listen and Practice!

Small Town Roads

Small towns have an undeniable charm. Be sure to find your way the next time you drive along their roads with these words in Spanish!

EnglishSpanish
crossroadsla encrucijada
crosswalkel paso peatonal
intersectionla intersección
one way streetla calle de una vía
parking lotel parqueo, el estacionamiento
pedestrianel peatón
residential areael área residencial
roundaboutel redondel
school zonela zona escolar
sidewalkla acera
small townla ciudad pequeña, el pueblo
speed bumpla banda de frenado

Example Sentences in Spanish

Ten cuidado en las encrucijadas. ¡Los autos vienen de todos lados!
Be careful at crossroads. Cars are coming everywhere!

¡El peatón cruzó la calle y tuve que frenar de golpe!
The pedestrian crossed the street and I had to brake suddenly!

Cuando estás en un redondel, siempre llevas la vía.
When you’re on a roundabout, you always have the right of way.

Las bandas de frenado evitaron el accidente.
Speed bumps avoided the accident.

roads in Spanish

Long-Distance Roads

EnglishSpanish
bridgeel puente
highwayla autopista
interstatela interestatal
long distancelarga distancia
toll roadla carretera de peaje

Example Sentences in Spanish

Ese puente parece eterno. ¡Es muy largo!
That bridge seems endless. It’s so long!

Me encanta manejar en la autopista. 
I love driving along the highway.

Mañana debo manejar una larga distancia; tendré que usar la interestatal.
I have to drive a long distance tomorrow; I’ll have to take the interstate.

Traffic Signs in Spanish

Road safety is a life-saving subject! Be sure you know what the traffic signs in Spanish mean! 

EnglishSpanish
construction signslas señales de construcción
guide signslas señales de guía
recreation signslas señales recreacionales
regulatory signslas señales reguladoras
service signslas señales de servicio
signla señal
traffic coneslos conos de tránsito
traffic lightel semáforo
warning signslas señales de advertencia

Example Sentences in Spanish

Cuando hay señales de construcción, las carreteras pueden estar bloqueadas.
Whenever there are construction signs, roads might be blocked.

No ignores las señales de guía. ¡Podrías perderte!
Don’t ignore the guide signs. You might get lost!

Ignorar las señales reguladoras puede costarte una multa.
Ignoring the regulatory signs can cost you a ticket.

Ese semáforo no funciona. ¿Cómo sabemos cuándo cruzar?
That traffic light is not working. How will we know when to cross?

Guide Signs

EnglishSpanish
destination distance signla señal de distancia de destino
interchange exit signla señal de salida de intercambio
interstate route markerla marca de la ruta interestatal
mile markerla marca de millas
roadway junctionel cruce de carreteras

Example Sentences in Spanish

La señal de distancia de destino te ayuda a saber si estás cerca de tu destino.
The destination distance sign helps you to know if you’re close to your destination.

Toma precauciones en el cruce de carreteras.
Take your precautions at the roadway junction. 

Regulatory Signs

EnglishSpanish
do not enterno entrar
end reversible lanefinal del carril reversible
no left/right turnno cruzar a la izquierda, derecha
no U turnno virar en U
no parkingno estacionarse
one wayuna vía
stopel alto
two way doble vía
yieldceder el paso

PRO TIP: Add la señal de before mentioning any of these signs. 

Example Sentences in Spanish

La señal dice “no estacionarse.” Si te estacionas, tendrás una multa.
The sign says “no parking.” If you park, you get a ticket.

¡Tienes el alto, cuidado!
You have the stop sign, watch out!

Si no cedes el paso, podrías tener un accidente.
If you don’t yield, you might have an accident.

Esta calle es de doble vía, puedes cruzar.
This is a two-way street, you can turn here.

roads in Spanish

Recreation Signs

Never forget you need to rest and eat during a road trip. Hit the roads in Spanish with these awesome words! 

EnglishSpanish
foodla comida
gasla gasolina, la gasolinera
handicapped accessible facilityel acceso para personas con discapacidad
hospitalel hospital
lodgingel alojamiento
rest areael área de descanso
swimming areael área para nadar

PRO TIP: Add la señal de before mentioning any of these signs. 

Example Sentences in Spanish

¿Podemos hacer una parada para comer? Hay una señal de comida justo ahí.
Can we make a stop to eat? There is a food sign right there.

Deberíamos buscar alojamiento. No arreglarán el auto hasta mañana.
We should look for lodging. They won’t fix the car until tomorrow.

¡Mira! Un área para nadar. ¡Vamos!
Look! A swimming area. Let’s go!

Warning Signs

EnglishSpanish
advisory speedla advertencia de velocidad
circular intersection (ahead)la intersección circular (más adelante)
intersectionla intersección
left/right curvela curva hacia la izquierda, derecha
left/right turnel cruce hacia la izquierda, derecha
merging traffic (ahead)tráfico fusionándose (más adelante)
side road left/rightel camino lateral a la izquierda, derecha

PRO TIP: Add la señal de before mentioning any of these signs. 

Example Sentences in Spanish

Mira la señal de advertencia de velocidad. No te excedas del límite.
Look out for the advisory speed sign. Don’t drive over the limit.

Ahí hay una señal de cruce hacia la derecha. Ya casi llegamos.
There’s a right turn sign. We are almost there.

Detente en la intersección. ¡Creo que nos perdimos!
Stop at the intersection. I think we’re lost!

Other Signs

If I included every existing sign in this post it’d be endless! But here are some more useful traffic signs in Spanish!

EnglishSpanish
bicycle parkingestacionamiento para bicicletas
no bicyclesno se permiten bicicletas
no hitchhikingprohibido hacer autostop
no pedestriansno se permiten peatones
school crosswalkcruce peatonal escolar

Example Sentences in Spanish

Hay muchos niños en el cruce peatonal escolar, reduce la velocidad.
There are a lot of kids in the school crosswalk, slow down.

¡Esta calle es muy larga y no permiten bicicletas!
This is a long street and there are no bicycles allowed!

Muchos carros circulan en esta área, por eso no se permiten peatones.
Many cars drive around this area, that’s why no pedestrians are allowed.

Spanish example

Traffic in Spanish

Nobody likes traffic, but we’ve got to get into it! Use these words in Spanish to let your friends know you’ll be late to the party!

EnglishSpanish
bottleneckel embotellamiento
heavy trafficel tráfico pesado
light trafficel tráfico ligero
rush hourla hora pico 
ticketla multa
traffic jamel atasco

Example Sentences in Spanish

Hay un embotellamiento; no sé cuánto tiempo estaré aquí.
There’s a bottleneck; I don’t know how long I’m going to be here.

El GPS indica que hay tráfico ligero. Deberíamos irnos ahora.
The GPS says there’s light traffic. We should go now.

Hoy me pusieron una multa. ¿Puedes creerlo?
I got a ticket today. Can you believe it?

Sigo en el atasco. Lo siento, no podré llegar.
I’m still in the traffic jam. I’m sorry, I am not going to make it.

Railroads

If you want to avoid traffic and make your trips unique, taking trains is always an option! With these words in Spanish, you’ll be ready to plan your next journey.

EnglishSpanish
railslos rieles
railway stationla estación de ferrocarril
terminalla terminal de trenes
trainslos trenes
train ticketel boleto de tren

Example Sentences in Spanish

Compré mi boleto de tren. Sólo debo empacar y me iré.
I bought my train ticket. I just have to pack and then I will leave.

Nos encontraremos en la estación de ferrocarril, ¿cierto?
We will meet at the railway station, right?

Me encanta viajar en tren, es una experiencia única.
I love traveling by train. It is a one-of-a-kind experience.

Travel to marvelous places. Check out: 12 Ways To Enjoy Ecotourism in Panama on Your Next Trip

Keep Up 

Did you know that year by year, the number of Spanish speakers around the world and in the United States increases? Spanish is a diverse language with a fascinating history and amazing backgrounds that make it unique in each region they speak it. 

Keep up with our modern world and increase your chances of traveling and having new experiences in Spanish-speaking countries by learning the language!

Our academy offers a method friendly to those with busy lives yet ambitious goals. Our one-on-one classes with native speakers guarantee to make you a fearless and natural Spanish speaker. Not only do we show you the ropes with grammar, but we give you insight on everything to know to sound natural and carefree.

Sign up for a free class today and discover how simple, fun, and effective it is to learn Spanish with us. 

certified teachers
free Spanish class button

Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these

Sharon K, Parent of 3

“This is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. It’s one-on-one, taught by native Spanish speakers, and uses a curriculum.”

– Sharon K, Parent of 3

Cindy D, Parent of 3

“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”

– Cindy D, Parent of 3

Erica P. Parent of 1

“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”

– Erica P. Parent of 1

Ready to learn more Spanish vocabulary? Check these out!

  • Your Child Knows Some Spanish Words, Now What? How to Turn Vocabulary Into Real Conversations
  • 29 Cool and Catchy Spanish Phrases To Use With Friends [+Audio]
  • Fun Ways to Practice Spanish with Family (Even If Everyone’s at Different Levels)
  • 10 Simple Spanish Words Your Preschooler Can Learn This Week
  • The 25 Most Useful Spanish Phrases You Need to Learn Today
  • Top 20 Guatemalan Words and Slang Expressions You Should Know
  • Bien vs Bueno: How Good is Your Spanish?
  • How to Talk About Learning a Language in Spanish
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Alejandra Castellanos
Alejandra Castellanos
Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy
A native Spanish speaker and college student born in Guatemala, I have a passion for writing in English and sharing valuable language information with Spanish learners. If my readers can enjoy the lessons and information I share, I’ll consider my work done!
Alejandra Castellanos
Latest posts by Alejandra Castellanos (see all)
  • Christmas Songs and Vocabulary for Kids in Spanish - December 13, 2022
  • 100 Sentences With the Spanish Verb Ser - September 1, 2022
  • Learn the Shapes (Free Spanish Lessons for Kids) - January 13, 2022
spanish vocabulary vocabulary
0

Related Posts

mission trip Spanish

45+ Mission Trip Spanish Phrases You Need To Know

December 23, 2021
Read More
Spanish quotes

44 Essential Spanish Quotes and Proverbs to Fuel Your Motivation

October 21, 2021
Read More
Spanish body parts

Spanish Body Parts: Vocabulary, Idioms, and Culture

January 4, 2022
Read More
Spanish greetings

Spanish 101: Greetings and Farewells

May 2, 2022
Read More

Leave a Comment! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

10 Creative Ways to Practice Your Spanish Writing SkillsPrevious Post
Joropo: Venezuela’s Traditional DanceNext Post

About Us

With over 10 years of experience, HSA is where your goals merge with our teachers’ passion: to improve your Spanish fluency. Custom-tailored to fit your needs, you choose your program, schedule, favorite teachers, pace of learning, and more.. Learn More

Resources

  • About
  • Get a Transcript
  • FAQs
  • How it Works
  • Partners

Recent Posts

  • 10 Essential Ways to Use “Que” in Spanish
    10 Essential Ways to Use “Que” in Spanish
    June 1, 2025
    Have you ever wondered how to use “que” in...
  • Which Family Language Strategy Works for You?
    Which Family Language Strategy Works for You?
    May 31, 2025
    If you want to help your child learn a new...

Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Contact Us© 2022 HSA. All rights reserved.