Are you thinking about visiting a Spanish-speaking country? Or are you preparing for a Skype conversation in Spanish? Then you should learn some basic, extremely useful Spanish phrases!
Even if you only learn a few phrases, learning to speak the local language while traveling has numerous benefits. People respect it when you talk to them in their native language, and there’s a good chance you’ll make memories you’ll cherish for the rest of your life. You can make long-lasting friendships all over the world by merely learning a few basic Spanish phrases for travel. Making friends, experiencing the culture, and learning about the best spots only locals know – isn’t that the true dream of travel?
So, let’s get started!
Salutations in Spanish
“Hello” in Spanish
Perhaps the most common and widely used phrase in any language is Hello. Moreover, it is a great conversation starter too. In Spanish, you say ‘Hola’ instead of Hello. The good thing is it can be used at any time of the day and it sounds natural always.
“Good Morning” in Spanish
You say buenos dias to someone in the morning. During the afternoon, you can use buenas tardes (“good afternoon”), which is also plural.
“Nice to Meet You” in Spanish
When meeting someone for the first time, you can say mucho gusto. It translates to “pleasure,” as in “It’s a pleasure.” However, in English, that is a bit formal, so a more accurate translation would be “Nice to meet you.” Un placer can be used in less formal situations.
“My Name is…” in Spanish
When introducing yourself, you can begin with Me llamo . You can use Hola, soy {your name} which translates to (“Hello, my name is ——“) as a go-to conversation-starter, this is a more casual way of saying your name, whereas me llamo is more direct.
“What is your name?” in Spanish
After you’ve introduced yourself, you should inquire about the other person’s name. To do so, use the phrase “Cómo te llamas?“
“Have a good day” in Spanish
Saying goodbye is as simple as saying “Tenga un buen dia!” to wish someone a pleasant day ahead. If it’s a close friend, you can say it more casually: que tengas un buen dia.
“See you soon” in Spanish
If you’ve agreed to meet someone again, use a friendlier phrase: Hasta luego!
“Good Bye” in Spanish
You can say adiós, which means “goodbye,” or cudate, which means “take care.”
Polite words in Spanish
Obviously, you want to ensure that you can express yourself politely so that you don’t offend anyone. So remember these important phrases to keep your manners in check.
“Please” in Spanish
When requesting something, remember to include the phrase por favour, which means “please.” It is usually added at the end of a sentence, as in English.
“Thank You” in Spanish
Always remember to say thank you! You can use gracias or muchas gracias to say “thank you very much.”
“You’re Welcome” in Spanish
When someone thanks you, you can respond with de nada, which means “you’re welcome” or “no problem.” You could also say “it was my pleasure” with mucho gusto.
“Excuse Me” in Spanish
Depending on how you use it, there are a few different ways to say this in Spanish. You say perdone if you need a favour. And if you need to get past someone, you would say perdón, disculpe, or con permiso which is a bit more polite version of “pardon me”.
“I am sorry” in Spanish
Say lo siento if you made a mistake or need to apologize for something. In some situations, disculpe can be used as an apology, just like in English.
Few chit-chat phrases in Spanish
“How are you?” in Spanish
There are several ways to inquire about someone’s well-being, but the most common and direct translation is Cómo estás? or Cómo está usted? If you are asked this question, you can respond bien for “I’m fine” or for “so-so.” To keep the conversation going, use ¿Y tú? Which means “And you?”.
“What are your hobbies?” in Spanish
Begin getting to know others by asking them what they enjoy doing in their spare time. You can inquire, “¿Cuáles son tus aficiones?” for “What are your interests?” Another way to say “hobby” is un hobby or un pasatiempo. You can also inquire, “¿Qué haces para divertirte?” which translates to “What do you enjoy doing for fun?”
“I like” and “I don’t like” in Spanish
You inquired about their interests, and now they have inquired about yours. So, how do you express yourself? You either say me gusta which means “I enjoy” or no me gusta which means “I dislike”. For example, me gusta viajar which translated to “I enjoy travelling” or No me gusta la pizza which means “I dislike pizza”. I’m kidding about the last one – who doesn’t enjoy pizza?
“Where are you from?” in Spanish
This is another option for small talk to keep the conversation going. You can inquire about someone’s origins by saying “De dónde eres?”
Hope these prove to be helpful to you. We’ll be covering more phrases in Spanish, till then keep learning these.
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