Welcome to Unit 10 — the final unit of your A1 Spanish journey! In this lesson, you'll learn essential travel vocabulary and take your first steps with the present perfect tense. By the end, you'll be able to talk about travel plans and describe what you need for a trip. Pack your bags — we're going on an adventure!
Learning tips
- Travel vocabulary is very practical — you'll use these words every time you plan a trip to a Spanish-speaking country.
- The present perfect (he viajado) works just like English 'I have traveled' — a helper verb (haber) plus a past participle.
- In Latin America, 'boleto' is the common word for ticket. In Spain, you'll hear 'billete' instead.
- Practice by describing your last trip using the new vocabulary: maleta, aeropuerto, hotel, etc.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| saludable | healthy |
| la salud | health |
| hacer ejercicio | to exercise |
| dormir bien | to sleep well |
| comer sano | to eat healthy |
| beber agua | to drink water |
| el hábito | the habit |
| importante | important |
| necesario | necessary |
| deber | must/should |
Dialog
Valentina is planning a weekend beach trip and asks Andrés for help. Notice how they use travel vocabulary naturally — el boleto (ticket), la maleta (suitcase), el pasaporte (passport), la reserva (reservation). Valentina also mentions the aeropuerto (airport) and el equipaje (luggage). This is a practical conversation you might have when planning your own trip to Colombia!
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| viajar | /bja.ˈxaɾ/ | to travel | |
| el viaje | /el ˈbja.xe/ | the trip, the journey | Can refer to any kind of trip |
| el aeropuerto | /el a.e.ɾo.ˈpweɾ.to/ | the airport | |
| el equipaje | /el e.ki.ˈpa.xe/ | the luggage, the baggage | Collective noun — no plural needed |
| la maleta | /la ma.ˈle.ta/ | the suitcase | |
| el boleto | /el bo.ˈle.to/ | the ticket | Latin American Spanish; in Spain: 'el billete' |
| el pasaporte | /el pa.sa.ˈpoɾ.te/ | the passport | |
| el hotel | /el o.ˈtel/ | the hotel | Note: the 'h' is silent in Spanish |
| la reserva | /la re.ˈseɾ.ba/ | the reservation, the booking | |
| la playa | /la ˈpla.ʝa/ | the beach |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| la agencia | /la a.ˈxen.sja/ | the agency | |
| el itinerario | /el i.ti.ne.ˈɾa.ɾjo/ | the itinerary | |
| la visa | /la ˈbi.sa/ | the visa | |
| el vuelo | /el ˈbwe.lo/ | the flight | |
| la aerolínea | /la a.e.ɾo.ˈli.ne.a/ | the airline | |
| el turismo | /el tu.ˈɾis.mo/ | tourism |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| quiero viajar | I want to travel |
| buen viaje | have a good trip, bon voyage |
Grammar: Introduction to pretérito perfecto (present perfect)
| Subject | haber | + Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| yo | he | viajado / comido / vivido |
| tú | has | viajado / comido / vivido |
| él / ella / usted | ha | viajado / comido / vivido |
| nosotros/as | hemos | viajado / comido / vivido |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | han | viajado / comido / vivido |
| Infinitive ending | Past participle |
|---|---|
| -ar → | -ado (viajar → viajado) |
| -er → | -ido (comer → comido) |
| -ir → | -ido (vivir → vivido) |
The pretérito perfecto (present perfect) is formed with the verb haber (to have) plus a past participle. It works very similarly to English:
- I have traveled → He viajado
- You have eaten → Has comido
- She has lived → Ha vivido
To form the past participle, remove the infinitive ending and add:
- -ar verbs → -ado (viajar → viajado)
- -er verbs → -ido (comer → comido)
- -ir verbs → -ido (vivir → vivido)
Important: Unlike English, nothing goes between 'haber' and the participle in Spanish. You say 'No he viajado' (not 'he no viajado'). The 'no' always goes before 'haber.'
In Latin America, the present perfect is often used for recent or relevant past events, while the simple past (preterite) is used for completed past actions.
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing travel word.
- Quiero a la playa este fin de semana.(an activity — going to another place)
- Necesito mi para el vuelo internacional.(a travel document for international travel)
- ¿Ya tienes la del hotel?(a booking confirmation for accommodation)
- Voy al para tomar el avión.(the place where you catch a plane)
- Mi está lista con toda la ropa.(a bag for carrying clothes on a trip)
Grammar Application
Form the present perfect by writing the correct past participle.
- yo / viajar → Yo he .(viajar → -ado)
- tú / comer → Tú has .(comer → -ido)
- ella / vivir → Ella ha .(vivir → -ido)
- nosotros / viajar → Nosotros hemos .(viajar → -ado)
- ellos / comer → Ellos han .(comer → -ido)
Translation (English → Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish.
- I want to travel to the beach.
- Do you have the ticket and the passport?
- The hotel reservation is ready.
- I'm going to the airport with my luggage.
- The trip is going to be incredible.
Creative Construction
Write 2-3 sentences about a trip using at least 4 travel words from this lesson.
Takeaway
The present perfect is formed with 'haber' + past participle: he viajado (I have traveled), has comido (you have eaten), ha vivido (he/she has lived). Regular participles end in -ado (-ar verbs) or -ido (-er/-ir verbs).