Language learning is useful for work, travel, and school, but perhaps the most rewarding moment is when a new Spanish speaker can confidently navigate a real-life conversation. Learning the most common Spanish phrases can give you the foundation to sail through the simplest social exchanges and tackle more complicated transactions with ease.
The phrases in this guide, both formal and informal, can help you tailor your questions and answers to many everyday situations in Spanish. This list is filled with phrases that give you a lot of progress for little effort, as they are common and useful across contexts. If you already know some Spanish words, you can use real-world conversations to help you learn Spanish.
Table of Contents
Common Spanish phrases to start a conversation
You typically start any conversation in any language with a greeting. Letting the person know you’d like to proceed en español (in Spanish) shows manners and is a good way to initiate a conversation. You can’t go wrong with hola (“hello” in Spanish), but what comes next?
Formal Spanish greetings
To ensure your greeting is well-received, you can always begin with formal greetings and transition to casual speech when you’re sure the context is more relaxed.
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
| buenos días, Señor/Señora | bwen-ohs dee-ahs, Sehn-yore/Sehn-yora | good morning Sir/Madam |
| buenas tardes | bwen-ahs tahr-dehs | good afternoon |
| buenas noches | bwen-ahs noh-chehs | good evening |
| ¿Cómo está (Usted)? | coh-moh eh-stah | How are you? |
| ¿Cómo se llama (Usted)? | coh-moh say-yama | What is your name? |
| disculpe/perdone | dee-school-pay/pear-doh-nay | excuse me |
Informal Spanish greetings
With friends and people you know well, casual speech can show a comfort level or social closeness. Take your cues from those around you, since tu vs. usted or formal vs. informal speech expectations vary with culture and region.
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
| buenas | bweh-nahs | hello (neutral timing) |
| ¿Cómo estás? | coh-moh eh-stahs | How are you? |
| ¿Cómo te llamas? | coh-moh tay-yamas | What’s your name? |
| disculpa/perdón | dee-school-pah/pear-dohn | excuse me |
| ¿Qué tal? | kay tahl | What’s up? |
| ¿Qué pasa?/¿Qué onda? | kay pah-sah/kay ohn-dah | What’s up? (slang) |
Now that you know several greetings in Spanish, commit to learning and practicing the verbs, phrases, and sentence starters in this guide. Then, you’ll feel confident about how long it takes to learn Spanish.
Asking for what you need and getting help in Spanish
These phrases for asking for help are essential Spanish phrases for traveling and are also useful if you’re paying a visit, taking a class, or shopping. Even if you don’t know a specific word or tend to forget vocabulary under pressure, use these phrases while you point, show pictures, or gesture to be sure you’ll get what you need.
Many times, a sympathetic listener will provide the Spanish word you’re looking for as well, so you’re learning new words authentically. Learners at an intermediate level often require a sympathetic listener who is willing to help them communicate.
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
| busco… | boo-skoh | I’m looking for… |
| ¿Es necesario…? | ehs nehs-say-sahr-ee-oh | Is it necessary…? |
| ¿Hay que…? | ay kay | Is it necessary to…? |
| me gustaría… | may goo-stah-ree-ah | I would like… |
| necesito… | nehs-say-see-toe | I need… |
| necesito ayuda. | nehs-say-see-toe ay-you-dah | I need help. |
| no tengo… | no ten-goh | I don’t have… |
| ¿Podría decirme…?/¿Podrías decirme…? | poh-dree-ah deh-sear-may/poh-dree-ahs deh-sear-may | Could you tell me…? (formal/informal) |
| ¿Puede ayudarme?/¿Puedes ayudarme? | pway-deh ah-you-dar-may/Pway-dehs ah-you-dar-may | Can you help me? (formal/informal) |
| puedo…/¿puedo…? | pway-doh | I can…/Can I…? |
| tengo que… | ten-goh kay | I have to… |
| Tengo una pregunta. | ten-goh ooh-nah pray-goon-tah | I have a question |
Now you’ll be able to ask for help or provide help when someone asks for it.
Spanish phrases to help you ask for directions
Go beyond norte, este, sur, and oeste (north, east, south, and west) with these directional Spanish phrases. Getting around a city has become easier with GPS instructions, and they’re one way to learn Spanish while driving, but common Spanish phrases for directions are still useful inside buildings or rooms or even for navigating apps or websites.
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
| a la derecha | ah lah deh-reh-cha | to the right/on the right |
| a la izquierda | ah lah ee-skyair-dah | to the left/on the left |
| ¿A qué distancia está…? | ah kay dee-stahn-see-ah es-tah | How far away is…? (slightly more formal) |
| al lado de | ahl lah-doh day | next to/on the side of |
| ¿aquí?/¿acá? | ah-key/ah-cah | Here? |
| cerca de | sair-kah day | near |
| ¿Cuál es la dirección? | kwahl ehs lah dee-reck-see-ohn | What is the address? |
| ¿Dónde está…? | dohn-day ehs-tah | Where is…? |
| estoy buscando… | ehs-stoy boo-skahn-doh | I’m looking for… |
| lejos de | lay-hohs day | far from |
| ¿Qué tan lejos está…? | kay tahn lay-hos ehs-tah | How far away is…? (slightly less formal) |
| todo recto | toh-doh reck-toh | straight ahead |
Spanish phrases for dining and restaurants
Many of the above common Spanish phrases are useful in restaurants, but food and dining comes with its own set of expressions for ordering food in Spanish. Use por favor (please) preceding or following many of these questions and requests to be more polite.
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
| ¿Es picante? | ehs pee-cahn-tay | Is it spicy? |
| ¿Hay opciones vegetarianas/veganas? | ay ohp-see-ohn-nays veh-heh-tah-ree-ah-nahs/ vey-gahn-nahs | Are there vegetarian/vegan options? |
| la cuenta | lah kwen-tah | the check |
| ¿Me pone…? | may poh-nay | Can you get me…? |
| ¿Me puede traer…? | may pway-day trah-air | Can you bring me…? |
| ¿Podría pedirlo sin…? | poh-dree-a pay-deer-loh seen | Could I order it without…? |
| ¿Puedo pedir…?/¿Puedo ordenar…? | pway-doh pay-deer/pway-doh or-day-nahr | Can I order…? |
| quiero | kee-air-oh | I want |
| Somos #. | soh-mohs | literally “we are #,” used to say how many people in your party |
| Voy a tomar… | voy a toh-mar | I’m going to have… |
Now that you have a few basic dining phrases, you can target your goals to learn how to make reservations or order food when someone in your party has allergies. And of course, learn an extensive list of Spanish food words, so you can enjoy every type of cuisine.
Giving opinions and expressing your feelings with Spanish phrases
You might already know how to use me gusta (I like) and other common Spanish phrases like gustar. To converse well with others, use these phrases to express yourself courteously and effectively.
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
| creo que… | kray-oh kay | I believe that/I think that… |
| en mi opinión | en mee oh-peen-yohn | in my opinion |
| ¿Estás de acuerdo? | eh-stahs day ah-kwair-doh | Do you agree? |
| (No) estoy de acuerdo | (no) ehs-stoy day ah-kwair-doh | I agree/I disagree |
| me encanta | may en-cahn-tah | I love |
| me gusta | may goo-stah | I like |
| me gusta más | may goo-stah mahs | I like most/more |
| no me gusta (para nada) | no may goo-stah pah-rah-nah-dah | I don’t like (at all) |
| para mí | pah-rah mee | for me |
| pienso que… | pee-en-soh kay | I think that… |
| prefiero | pray-fee-air-oh | I prefer |
| ¿Qué opinas? | kay oh-pee-nahs | What’s your opinion? |
| ¿Qué piensas? | kay pee-en-sahs | What do you think? |
Common Spanish phrases for making plans
These Spanish question words are essential for making plans with friends, setting and keeping appointments, or suggesting activities.
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
| ¿A qué hora? | ah kay or-ah | At what time? |
| ¿Con quién? | cone kyen | With whom? |
| ¿Cuándo? | kwan-doh | When? |
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | kwan-toh kwest-ah | How much does it cost? |
| ¿Dónde? | dohn-day | Where? |
| ¡Me apunto! | may ah-puntoh | I’m in! (I sign myself up) |
| ¿Puedes llevarme (a)? | pway-days yeh-var-me ah | Can you give me a ride (to)? |
| ¿Qué día te conviene? | kay dee-ah tay cone-vyen-ay | What day is best for you? |
| ¿Quién viene? | kyen vyen-ey | Who is coming? |
| ¿Quieres ir a… conmigo? | kyair-ays ear ah … cone mee-go | Do you want to go to… with me? |
| si te parece bien | see tay pah-race-ay byen | if it’s good with you |
| ¿Te parece? | tay pah-race-ay | What do you think? |
| Vamos a conectarnos a las ___ mi hora. | vah-mohs ah cone-ek-tar-nohs ah lahs __ mee or-ah | Let’s connect (online) at ___ my time. |
Common Spanish phrases for when you don’t know a word
Circumlocution is the art of “talking around” a word you can’t remember. These common Spanish phrases prove incredibly helpful when you lack the vocabulary you need to communicate effectively. A sympathetic listener with mucha paciencia (a lot of patience) is your best friend in this situation, as it’s a great practice to explain what you mean without resorting to English.
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
| el opuesto de… | ell oh-pwes-toe day | the opposite of… |
| es de madera/metal/papel/tela | ehs mah-dair-ah/may-tahl/pah-pell/tay-lah | It’s made of wood/metal/paper/fabric |
| es una cosa que usas para… | ehs ooh-nah coh-sah kay oo-zas pah-rah | it’s a thing that you use for… |
| es similar a… | ehs see-mee-lar ah | It’s similar to… |
| está hecho de… | es-tah ay-choh day | It’s made of… |
| pero con/sin | pear-oh cone/seen | but with/without |
| tiene que ver con | tyen-ay kay vair cone | it’s related to/it has to do with |
Ending your conversation with good-mannered Spanish phrases
When your conversation comes to a close, leave a good impression with a proper “thank you” in Spanish and “Goodbye.”
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
| adiós | ah-dee-ohs | goodbye |
| buen provecho/qué aproveches | bwen proh-vay-cho | used when people are going to eat |
| buen viaje | bwen vee-ah-hey | have a good trip |
| buena suerte | bwen-ah swear-tay | good luck |
| de nada | deh nah-dah | you’re welcome/it was nothing (less formal) |
| gracias por todo | grah-see-ahs por toh-doh | thanks for everything |
| hasta la próxima | ah-stah lah pro-ksee-mah | see you next time |
| hasta luego | ah-stah lway-go | see you later |
| muchas gracias | moo-chahs grah-see-ahs | thank you very much |
| nos vemos mañana | noah vay-mohs mah-nyah-na | see you tomorrow |
| qué tenga un buen día | keh ten-gah oohn bwen dee-ah | have a nice day |
| tengo que irme | ten-go keh ear-may | I have to go |
Expand on these common Spanish phrases to elevate your conversations
Think of these conversational basics as the essential pieces of your wardrobe, and then focus on accessorizing with additional vocabulary, synonyms, idioms, slang, or even telling funny Spanish jokes. Using these Spanish phrases means you’ve entered authentic conversations with Spanish speakers, which is a highly effective way to continue learning the language.
Rosetta Stone’s tutoring sessions are a great way to practice these expressions and more from home or on the go. Before you know it, you’ve accelerated the pace of learning Spanish and are enjoying it more than ever.
0 Commentaires