Holiday Activities (Junior Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Holiday activities
Holiday activities vocabulary
When planning your holidays or talking about leisure time, you'll need to know various activities and places you might visit. Spanish offers many ways to describe what you enjoy doing during your free time.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| dar un paseo | to go for a walk |
| dar un paseo en bicicleta | to go for a bike ride |
| jugar al fútbol | to play football |
| jugar al baloncesto | to play basketball |
| montar a caballo | to go horse riding |
| nadar | to swim |
| visitar | to visit |
| hacer una excursión | to go on a trip |
| alquilar | to rent, hire |
Places to visit
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el jardín | the garden |
| el edificio | the building |
| el castillo | the castle |
| la montaña | the mountain |
| el barco | the boat |
| el mercado | the market |
| la fiesta | the festival |
| el desfile | the parade |
| el espectáculo | the show |
| el baile | the dance |
| el flamenco | the flamenco |
Describing places
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| histórico/a | historic |
| antiguo/a | old, ancient |
Example sentences:
- Vamos a dar un paseo por el jardín histórico. (We're going to take a walk through the historic garden.)
- Me gusta jugar al fútbol en el parque. (I like to play football in the park.)
- El castillo antiguo es muy bonito. (The ancient castle is very beautiful.)
When talking about playing sports, Spanish uses "jugar al" followed by the sport. The preposition changes depending on the activity - "montar a caballo" uses "a" because you're mounting onto something.
Time phrases for planning activities
Understanding when activities happen is crucial for organising your holiday plans. Spanish time expressions help you place events in the past, present, or future.
Past time phrases
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ayer | yesterday |
| anoche | last night |
| 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 phrases
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| hoy | today |
| en este momento | at the moment |
| ahora | now |
| actualmente | currently, presently |
Future time phrases
| 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 |
Example sentences:
- Ayer visitamos el mercado tradicional. (Yesterday we visited the traditional market.)
- Hoy vamos a nadar en la playa. (Today we're going to swim at the beach.)
- Mañana haremos una excursión a la montaña. (Tomorrow we'll go on a trip to the mountain.)
These time phrases are essential for storytelling and planning. Notice that "hace" works differently in Spanish - you say "hace dos días" (two days ago) rather than "dos días hace".
Trips and visits vocabulary
When you're travelling or planning visits to different places, specific vocabulary becomes very useful. This section covers essential terms for booking trips and describing your travel experiences.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| reservar | to book, reserve |
| el billete | the ticket (transport) |
| la entrada | the ticket (entry) |
| el puente | the bridge |
| la plaza | the square |
| la isla | the island |
| el puerto | the port, harbour |
| el viaje | the journey |
| la excursión | the trip, excursion |
| llegar | to arrive |
| salir | to leave, go out |
| tardar + time | to take + time |
| ver | to see |
| la oficina de turismo | the tourist office |
| cruzar | to cross |
Example sentences:
- Necesito reservar un billete para el tren. (I need to book a ticket for the train.)
- La excursión a la isla dura tres horas. (The trip to the island lasts three hours.)
- Vamos a cruzar el puente para ver las vistas. (We're going to cross the bridge to see the views.)
The phrase "¿A qué hora...?" (What time...?) is very useful when asking about schedules and timing during your travels.
Key prepositions for locations
Understanding prepositions is essential for describing where you're going and where things are located. Spanish uses three main prepositions that often confuse English speakers.
Using "a" (to)
Use "a" when talking about going TO a place or arriving AT a specific time.
- Vamos a la plaza. (We are going to the square.)
- El concierto es a las ocho. (The concert is at eight.)
- El tren llega a Granada a la una. (The train arrives in Granada at one.)
Using "en" (in, on, at)
Use "en" when you're already IN or ON a place, or when talking about being AT a location.
- Estamos en la playa. (We are on the beach.)
- Comimos en la plaza. (We ate in the square.)
- Lo compré en el supermercado. (I bought it at the supermarket.)
Using "de" (of, from)
Use "de" to show origin (FROM) or possession (OF).
- Este es el tren de Barcelona. (This is the train from Barcelona.)
- Las vistas del puente son increíbles. (The views from/of the bridge are incredible.)
Important rule: When you say "at + a place" in English, Spanish usually uses "en" rather than "a".
Expressing interest and preferences
These flexible phrases help you talk about what you'd like to do on holiday or express your interests in different activities.
| Spanish phrase | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Me interesa + infinitive | I'm interested in... |
| Tengo ganas de + infinitive | I am keen to.../I feel like... |
| Me gustaría + infinitive | I would like to... |
Example sentences:
- Me interesa visitar el castillo famoso. (I'm interested in visiting the famous castle.)
- Tengo ganas de hacer una excursión. (I'm keen to go on a trip.)
- Me gustaría montar a caballo. (I would like to go horse riding.)
These phrases are followed by infinitive verbs (the basic form ending in -ar, -er, or -ir). They're perfect for expressing your holiday preferences politely.
Phrase bank
Here are some practical mini-sentences you'll actually use when talking about holidays:
Useful holiday phrases:
- ¿Qué vamos a hacer hoy? (What are we going to do today?)
- ¿A qué hora sale el tren? (What time does the train leave?)
- Me gusta mucho este lugar. (I really like this place.)
- ¿Cuánto cuesta la entrada? (How much does the ticket cost?)
- ¿Dónde está la oficina de turismo? (Where is the tourist office?)
- El viaje fue muy interesante. (The journey was very interesting.)
- Tengo muchas ganas de volver. (I really want to come back.)
Translation exercises
Practice translations:
Spanish to English:
- El viaje a la isla es interesante.
- El autobús llega en una hora.
English to Spanish: 3. I love the views from the castle. 4. Yesterday the boat left at two o'clock.
Answers:
- The journey to the island is interesting.
- The bus arrives in one hour.
- Me encantan las vistas del castillo.
- Ayer el barco salió a las dos.
Common errors and fixes
Error: Using "a" instead of "en" for locations
Fix: Estoy a la playa → Estoy en la playa (I am at the beach)
Reason: Use "en" when you're already at a location, "a" for movement towards it.
Error: Forgetting articles with time expressions
Fix: A ocho → A las ocho (At eight o'clock)
Reason: Specific times need the article "las" in Spanish.
Error: Wrong preposition with "llegar"
Fix: Llegar en Madrid → Llegar a Madrid (To arrive in Madrid)
Reason: "Llegar" always uses "a" for destinations.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Holiday activities use specific verbs like "dar un paseo", "jugar al" (+ sport), and "hacer una excursión"
- Time phrases help you organise when activities happen - learn past, present and future expressions
- Prepositions matter: "a" for going to places, "en" for being at places, "de" for coming from places
- Express interests with "Me interesa", "Tengo ganas de", or "Me gustaría" + infinitive verb
- Always include articles with specific times: "a las ocho" not "a ocho"