How far is it
A slightly more formal way to ask, literally meaning 'At what distance is it?'.
A simpler, more general question: 'Is it very far?'. Used to get a general sense of the distance.
Means 'Is there a long way to go?'. Very common when you are already en route to the destination.
Excuse me, how far is the bus station?
The restaurant looks close on the map, but how far is it walking?
We've been walking for an hour. Is it much further to the beach?
I need to go to the bank. Is it very far from here?
The phrase '¿Qué tan lejos está?' is the most common and widely understood way to ask about distance. It's the standard in countries like Mexico, Colombia, and Peru.
In Spain, it's much more common to hear '¿A qué distancia está?'. While '¿Qué tan lejos está?' is understood, the 'qué tan + adjective' construction is less frequent than in Latin America.
Both '¿Qué tan lejos está?' and '¿A qué distancia está?' are used. You will also frequently hear the simpler question '¿Está muy lejos?' as a common way to gauge distance in conversation.
Saying '¿Cómo lejos está?' — English speakers often translate 'how' directly to 'cómo'. However, 'cómo' is used for manner (how you do something), not degree. For 'how + adjective' (like how far, how big), you must use the structure 'qué tan + adjective'. So, the correct form is '¿Qué tan lejos...?'.
Using 'ser' instead of 'estar' (e.g., '¿Qué tan lejos es?') — This is a classic 'ser' vs. 'estar' error. In Spanish, we always use the verb 'estar' to talk about the location of people, places, and things. Even though a landmark's location is permanent, it's still a location, so you must use 'está'.
Forgetting the accents ('Que tan lejos esta?') — In questions, interrogative words like 'qué' (what/how) always have a written accent. The verb 'está' (is) also needs an accent on the 'a' to distinguish it from 'esta' (this).
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