Holiday activities (Edexcel GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
Holiday activities
Essential holiday activity vocabulary
When talking about holidays in Spanish, you'll need to know key verbs and phrases for describing different activities. These expressions help you discuss what you did, what you're doing now, and what you plan to do during your travels.
Learning holiday vocabulary in categories makes it easier to remember and use in conversation. Focus on the activities you're most likely to encounter during your travels.
Sports and active pursuits
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| jugar al tenis | to play tennis |
| jugar al vóleibol | to play volleyball |
| hacer natación | to go swimming |
| montar a caballo | to go horse riding |
| pasear en bicicleta | to go for a bike ride |
| pasear | to walk, ride |
Example sentences:
- Ayer jugamos al tenis en la playa. (Yesterday we played tennis on the beach.)
- Mañana vamos a hacer natación. (Tomorrow we're going swimming.)
Places and attractions
The vocabulary for describing places and tourist attractions forms the foundation for discussing where you went and what you saw during your holiday.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el jardín | garden |
| el edificio histórico/a | historic building |
| el castillo | castle |
| el mercado | market |
| la montaña | mountain |
| la feria | fair |
Example sentences:
- Visitamos el castillo antiguo esta mañana. (We visited the old castle this morning.)
- El mercado está muy animado los viernes. (The market is very lively on Fridays.)
Entertainment and cultural activities
Cultural activities and entertainment form a major part of holiday experiences, so these terms are particularly useful for describing memorable moments from your travels.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la fiesta | festival |
| el espectáculo | show |
| el desfile | parade |
| hacer una excursión | to go on a trip |
| alquilar | to rent, hire |
Example sentences:
- Esta noche vamos a ver un espectáculo de baile flamenco. (This Friday we are going to see a flamenco dance show.)
- Hicimos una excursión a la montaña la semana pasada. (We went on a trip to the mountains last week.)
Time expressions for describing activities
Understanding when activities happen is crucial for discussing holidays. Spanish uses specific time phrases to indicate past, present, and future activities. Mastering these expressions will make your holiday descriptions much more natural and detailed.
Past time expressions
These expressions help you describe what you did during previous holidays or earlier in your current trip.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ayer | yesterday |
| hace + time | time + ago |
| recientemente | recently |
| el año/mes pasado | last year/month |
| la semana pasada | last week |
| en el pasado | in the past |
Present time expressions
Use these phrases to describe current activities and what's happening right now during your holiday.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| hoy | today |
| en este momento | at the moment |
| ahora | now |
| actualmente | currently, presently |
Future time expressions
These expressions allow you to discuss upcoming plans and activities you're looking forwards to during your holiday.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| mañana | tomorrow |
| esta tarde | this afternoon |
| este viernes/jueves | this Friday/Thursday |
| el domingo próximo | next Sunday |
| en el futuro | in the future |
Connecting your ideas
When describing holiday activities, you need flexible phrases to link your sentences smoothly. These expressions help you create more natural-sounding descriptions.
Useful connecting phrases:
- Hace dos días fuimos a... (Two days ago we went to...)
- Hoy esperamos visitar... (Today we hope to visit...)
These phrases work with any activity or location, making your Spanish more fluent and natural.
Exam tips
Key strategies for exam success:
- Reading comprehension: Look for time markers first to understand when activities happened
- Writing tasks: Use a variety of time expressions to show your range of vocabulary
- Speaking practice: Combine activity verbs with time phrases to create complete sentences
Practice exercise
Translate these sentences:
- We went on a boat trip yesterday.
- This afternoon we are going to see a flamenco show.
Answers:
- Ayer hicimos una excursión en barco.
- Esta tarde vamos a ver un espectáculo de flamenco.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Learn activity vocabulary in categories - sports, places, entertainment - to help memorisation
- Master time expressions for past, present, and future to describe when activities happen
- Use connecting phrases like "hace dos días" and "hoy esperamos" to link ideas naturally
- Practice combining activities with time phrases to create complete, exam-ready sentences
- Focus on context - time markers in reading passages help you understand the sequence of events