Spanish Phrases

Oftentimes, when a phrase is translated from English to Spanish and vice versa, the actual translation has a different meaning. Therefore, it’s best to check with a native Spanish speaker to be sure you’re pronouncing each of the following phrases correctly.

The following is a list of popular Spanish phrases and words that will help you if you are traveling to a Spanish-speaking country. If you only have a limited amount of time to prepare for your trip abroad, consider focusing on the following phrases first.

Common Conversational Phrases

Yo soy Estadounidense—I am American
Yo soy Inglés—I am English
De donde eres?—Where are you from?
Donde vives?—Where do you live?
Si—Yes
No—No
Perdon—Excuse me
Lo ciento—Sorry
Hola—Hello
Buenas dias—Good morning
Buenas noches—Good evening
Buenas tardes—Good afternoon
Hablas inglés?—Do you speak English?
Le puedes repetir, por favor?—Could you please repeat that?
Puedes hablar más despacio, por favor?—Could you speak more slowly?

Directions

Donde esta?—Where is?
Come llego a?—How do I get to?
Estoy buscando a—I am looking for
Estoy peridido—I am lost
Me puedes ayudar, por favor?—Can you please help me?

Shopping

Me puedes ayudar, por favor?—Can you please help me?
Cuanto cuesta?—How much?
Tienes algo más económico?—Do you have something less expensive?
Es demasiado caro—It’s too expensive.
Aceptan aquí tarjetas de crédito?—Do you accept credit cards here?
Cuanto le debo?—How much do I owe
La cuenta por favor—Check, please
Una propina—Tip

Days of the week

el lunes—Monday
el martes—Tuesday
el miércoles—Wednesday
el jueves—Thursday
el viernes—Friday
el sábado—Saturday
el domingo—Sunday

Lodging

Cuanto cuestan las habitaciones?—How much are the rooms?
Hay habitaciones disponible?—Are there rooms available?
Me puedes recomendar otro hotel?—Can you recommend another hotel?
el aire acondicionado—air conditioning
la calefacción—heating
un hostal—hostel
un hotel—hotel
una casa de huéspedes—guest house

Restaurants and Food

el desayuno—breakfast
la comida/el almuerzo—lunch
la cena—dinner
unantojito—appetizer
una sopa—soup
una ensalada—salad
una entrado—entre
un postre—dessert
agua natural—drinking water
agua embotellada—bottled water
un jugo—juice
Quiero ver la carta, por favor.—I would like to see the menu, please.
Quiero hacer una reservación.—I would like to make a reservation.
Quiero una mesa en la área de no fumar.—I want a table in the non-smoking area.
Tienen una silla alta?—Do you have a highchair?

Transportation

Un taxista—Cabbie
La tarifa—fare
Un sitio de taxis—taxi stand
Esta ocupado?—Are you free?
Cuanto me cobras par air al?—How much will you charge me to go to?

While this is by no means a complete list of what you might need to say or know when traveling to a Spanish-speaking country, it’s a good start. Learning Spanish is not that difficult, but it does take patience. It’s best if you can set aside a specific time each day to study. Practice speaking with someone fluent in Spanish before you attempt to travel. They can help you with pronunciation and maybe teach you some of the slang words that are common in the area where you’re traveling.