Spanish · Metro / autobús
You do not know how to get through the ticket barrier: what to say in Spanish
You don't know how to go through the barrier.
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How it's done. The barrier opens when you tap the card or insert the ticket; keep hold of it until you go through; at the exit a ticket is sometimes needed too.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, no me abre la barrera. ¿Qué hago?
Pehr-DOH-neh, noh meh AH-breh lah buhr-REH-ruh. Keh AH-goh?
Excuse me, the barrier doesn't open. What do I do?
THEY SAY
Pase la tarjeta por aquí.PAH-seh lah tuhr-KHEH-tuh por uh-KEE.
Tap the card here.
They might also say:
Acérquela al lector, en la parte de arriba.
Uh-SEHR-keh-luh ahl lek-TOR, en lah PAHR-teh deh uhr-REE-buh.
Hold it to the reader at the top.
2
YOU REPLY
Ya se ha abierto. Gracias.
Yah seh uh uh-BYEHR-toh. GRAH-syuhs.
It's opened. Thanks.
THEY SAY
Muy bien.Mooy byayn.
Very good.
3
YOU FINISH
Gracias. ¿Es por aquí para la línea uno?
GRAH-syuhs. Es por uh-KEE PAH-ruh lah LEE-neh-uh OO-noh?
Thanks. Is it this way to line one?
THEY SAY
Sí, siga las señales.See, SEE-guh lahs seh-NYAH-les.
Yes, follow the signs.
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.
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
no
noh
adverb
no
abre
AH-breh
verb
opens
barrera
buhr-REH-ruh
noun
barrier
hago
AH-goh
verb
I do, I make
Pase
PAH-seh
verb
come in, go ahead
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?
Similar situations
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