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Spanish · Portal / escalera

You ask a neighbour about the building: what to say in Spanish

You ask a neighbour about the building.

Portal / escalera6 linesLevel A2For life in Spain The rest of the dialogue is in the app
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How it's done. Useful words: portal (entrance), buzón (mailbox), portero automático (intercom), trastero (storage room), azotea (roof), contenedor (bin).Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.

Cheat sheet for your visit

The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.

1
YOU START
Perdone, ¿dónde están los buzones?
Pehr-DOH-neh, DOHN-deh es-TAHN los boo-SOH-nes?
Excuse me, where are the mailboxes?
THEY SAY
En la entrada, a la izquierda.
En lah ayn-TRAH-duh, uh lah ees-KYEHR-duh.
At the entrance, on the left.
They might also say:
Justo al entrar a la izquierda.
KHOOS-toh ahl ayn-TRAHR uh lah ees-KYEHR-duh.
Right as you go in, on the left.
in the app
2
YOU REPLY
¿Y los contenedores de basura?
Ee los kohn-teh-neh-DOH-res deh buh-SOO-ruh?
And the rubbish containers?
THEY SAY
En la calle, en la esquina.
En lah KAH-eh, en lah es-KEE-nuh.
In the street, on the corner.
in the app
3
YOU FINISH
Muchas gracias. Es muy amable.
MOO-chuhs GRAH-syuhs. Es mooy uh-MAH-bleh.
Thank you very much. You are very kind.
THEY SAY
De nada. Cualquier cosa, estoy en el segundo A.
Deh NAH-duh. Koo-uhl-KYEHR KOH-suh, es-TOY en el seh-GOON-doh Uh.
You're welcome. Anything at all, I'm on the second floor, A.
in the app

The course is in the app

This dialogue is part of the course “Spanish for life in Spain”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.

Open in the App Store
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.

Words worth knowing

Perdone
Pehr-DOH-neh
verb
excuse me, sorry
están
es-TAHN
verb
are (they)
buzones
boo-SOH-nes
noun
postboxes
entrada
ayn-TRAH-duh
noun
entrance
izquierda
ees-KYEHR-duh
noun
left (side)
contenedores
kohn-teh-neh-DOH-res
noun
bins, containers

19 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.

If you did not understand

¿Puede repetirlo, por favor?
Poo-EH-deh reh-peh-TEER-loh, por fuh-BOR?
Can you repeat that, please?
¿Puede hablar más despacio, por favor?
Poo-EH-deh uh-BLAHR mahs des-PAH-syoh, por fuh-BOR?
Can you speak more slowly, please?
¿Qué significa esto?
Keh seeg-nee-FEE-kuh ES-toh?
What does this mean?

All 21 rescue phrases in Spanish →

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The rest of the dialogue is in MovkoDownload