Getting a driving licence in Spain (get your driving license in Spain) can be a fairly challenging task for foreigners.
There’s having to memorise Spain’s specific road laws, the big difference in prices between driving schools depending on where you are and, last but not least, understanding Spain’s driving lingo.
Although Spain’s Directorate General for Traffic (DGT) does offer the possibility of taking your theory exam in English, French and German, the practical driving exam has to be carried out in Spanish.
There are some specialised driving schools (driving schools in Spanish) that have instructors who can offer practical lessons in English, but when it comes to actually sitting at the wheel with the DGT examiner in the back seat, it’s almost certainly all going to be in Spanish.
With this in mind, we’re going to revise the most common instructions that you’re likely to receive from your driving instructor while you’re practising driving, and during your final practical test with the examiner.
To keep it as real as possible, all the Spanish verbs we’ll use will be in the imperative form, as that’s what you’re most likely to hear from your instructor.
We’ve mixed up these with the useful vocab you’re likely to hear to put it all in context, so pay special attention to each part of the sentence.
The basics
speeds up : Speed up
brake : Brake
Speed down : Reduce your speed
stop/stop : Stop
step on the clutch : Step on the clutch
Important extras
Put on your (seat) belt : Put on your seatbelt
Make sure you have the mirrors correctly positioned : Make sure your rearview mirrors are correctly positioned
Getting going
start the car : turn on the car
Put the low / long lights : Put on your headlights/brights
put on the turn signal : Put on your indicator
Turn the steering wheel left/right : Turn the steering wheel to the left/right
The traffic light is green/red/amber : The traffic light is green, red, yellow
Gears
Put first, second, third, fourth, fifth gear : Go into first, second, third, fourth, fifth gear
Put the gear lever in neutral : Put the gearbox in neutral
Parking
from reverse gear : Reverse
put on the emergency lights : Put on your emergency lights
Park on battery, in line or in parallel : Park at an angle, in line, parallel park
Apply/Release the parking brake : Pull up/down the handbrake
Turning and moving around
Drive down this one way road : Drive along this one-way road
Give way : Give way
overtake the van : Overtake the van
Merge onto highway/roundabout : Merge onto the motorway/roundabout
Remember that it is a one-way/two-way road : Remember it’s a one-way/two-way road
Take the first/second/third exit : Take the first/second/third exit
Take a look at the blind spot : Check your blind spot
look in the rear view mirror : Look through the rearview mirror
change lanes : Change lane
Get into the in/out lane : Take the inside/outside lane
take the next exit : Take the next exit
Precautions
Don’t exceed the speed limit : Don’t go over the speed limit
watch out for the curve : Be careful with the turn
Let the pedestrian pass at the zebra crossing : Let the pedestrian cross at the zebra crossing
Make sure no cars are coming at the intersection : Make sure there’s no oncoming traffic at the crossing
And a couple of extra ones
Blow the horn/honk : Honk your horn
Put the windshield wiper : Put on the windshield wipers
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