Moving around the city
When navigating city streets, you often need to describe the direction you are heading or the exact point where you need to stop. In Spanish, two essential prepositions help you express physical movement and spatial boundaries: hacia and hasta.
Hacia (Towards)
Use hacia to talk about the direction of movement. It translates to "towards" or "in the direction of." It focuses on the path you are taking, but doesn't necessarily mean you will go all the way to that final destination.
| You have to walk straight towards the square. | Hay que caminar derecho hacia la plaza. |
| We advance towards the stop. | Avanzamos hacia la parada. |
Hasta (Until / As far as)
Use hasta to set a physical limit or boundary. It translates to "until," "up to," or "as far as." Unlike hacia, hasta focuses on the exact endpoint of your journey.
| The bus goes as far as the corner. | El autobús va hasta la esquina. |
| You have to go straight all the way to the park. | Hay que ir derecho hasta el parque. |
Putting them together
You can easily combine these two prepositions to give highly specific directions, telling someone exactly how far to go and which way to turn next.
| I walk up to the corner and cross towards the bus stop. | Camino hasta la esquina y cruzo hacia la parada del autobús. |
Giving instructions with "hay que"
When giving general directions, you will frequently hear and use the phrase hay que. It translates roughly to "one must" or "you have to," and is always followed by an infinitive verb.
| (with que) one has to / must | hay que |
| You have to cross this street towards the traffic light. | Hay que cruzar esta calle hacia el semáforo. |
| You have to turn at this corner towards the museum. | Hay que girar en esta esquina hacia el museo. |
