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!
| English | Spanish |
| back seat | el asiento trasero |
| blinker | la luz de emergencia |
| car | el automóvil, el carro |
| carpool | compartir el auto |
| driver | el conductor, la conductora |
| driver’s license | la licencia de conducir |
| headlights | las luces altas |
| horn | la bocina |
| license plate | la placa del automóvil |
| passenger | el pasajero, la pasajera |
| seatbelt | el cinturón de seguridad |
| shotgun | el copiloto |
| steering wheel | el timón |
| turn signal | el 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.
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.
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!
| English | Spanish |
| alternate route | la ruta alterna |
| dead end | el callejón sin salida |
| lane | el carril |
| road | la carretera |
| road trip | el viaje por carretera |
| road work | trabajos en carretera |
| speed limit | el límite de velocidad |
| street | la 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.
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
| English | Spanish |
| country roads | las carreteras rurales |
| dirt roads | las carreteras de terracería |
| gas station | la gasolinera |
| off-ramp | la rampa de emergencia |
| railroad crossing | el 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!
| English | Spanish |
| crossroads | la encrucijada |
| crosswalk | el paso peatonal |
| intersection | la intersección |
| one way street | la calle de una vía |
| parking lot | el parqueo, el estacionamiento |
| pedestrian | el peatón |
| residential area | el área residencial |
| roundabout | el redondel |
| school zone | la zona escolar |
| sidewalk | la acera |
| small town | la ciudad pequeña, el pueblo |
| speed bump | la 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.
Long-Distance Roads
| English | Spanish |
| bridge | el puente |
| highway | la autopista |
| interstate | la interestatal |
| long distance | larga distancia |
| toll road | la 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!
| English | Spanish |
| construction signs | las señales de construcción |
| guide signs | las señales de guía |
| recreation signs | las señales recreacionales |
| regulatory signs | las señales reguladoras |
| service signs | las señales de servicio |
| sign | la señal |
| traffic cones | los conos de tránsito |
| traffic light | el semáforo |
| warning signs | las 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
| English | Spanish |
| destination distance sign | la señal de distancia de destino |
| interchange exit sign | la señal de salida de intercambio |
| interstate route marker | la marca de la ruta interestatal |
| mile marker | la marca de millas |
| roadway junction | el 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
| English | Spanish |
| do not enter | no entrar |
| end reversible lane | final del carril reversible |
| no left/right turn | no cruzar a la izquierda, derecha |
| no U turn | no virar en U |
| no parking | no estacionarse |
| one way | una vía |
| stop | el alto |
| two way | doble vía |
| yield | ceder 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.
Recreation Signs
Never forget you need to rest and eat during a road trip. Hit the roads in Spanish with these awesome words!
| English | Spanish |
| food | la comida |
| gas | la gasolina, la gasolinera |
| handicapped accessible facility | el acceso para personas con discapacidad |
| hospital | el hospital |
| lodging | el alojamiento |
| rest area | el área de descanso |
| swimming area | el 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
| English | Spanish |
| advisory speed | la advertencia de velocidad |
| circular intersection (ahead) | la intersección circular (más adelante) |
| intersection | la intersección |
| left/right curve | la curva hacia la izquierda, derecha |
| left/right turn | el cruce hacia la izquierda, derecha |
| merging traffic (ahead) | tráfico fusionándose (más adelante) |
| side road left/right | el 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!
| English | Spanish |
| bicycle parking | estacionamiento para bicicletas |
| no bicycles | no se permiten bicicletas |
| no hitchhiking | prohibido hacer autostop |
| no pedestrians | no se permiten peatones |
| school crosswalk | cruce 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.
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!
| English | Spanish |
| bottleneck | el embotellamiento |
| heavy traffic | el tráfico pesado |
| light traffic | el tráfico ligero |
| rush hour | la hora pico |
| ticket | la multa |
| traffic jam | el 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.
| English | Spanish |
| rails | los rieles |
| railway station | la estación de ferrocarril |
| terminal | la terminal de trenes |
| trains | los trenes |
| train ticket | el 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
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