Have you ever travelled abroad thinking English would be enough to communicate just to find out that most of the local people never understand you? Yes, we all know English is a global language, but not everyone has the time, or the desire, to learn it since they feel like they don’t need it if they stay in their native country.
I remember when I was little, there was this guy in a bakery that couldn’t even buy bread in Spanish. He kept asking very arrogantly if there was someone who spoke English in the store instead of just pointing to the bread. For this reason, he came off as uneducated and rude to locals since he couldn’t put a little effort to learn some small phrases in their language while being in their country.
So before you’re also considered lazy (I mean, c’mon, it just takes a simple Google search to learn some words), dive with me into the rich sounding Spanish expressions for travelers.
1. Greetings
Regardless of where you’re going or what you’re doing, you’ll always have to greet people if you want to seem polite and nice. These are the basics of the basics.
Hello / Hi: Hola.
Good morning: Buenos días.
Good afternoon / Good evening: Buenas tardes. (Not all Hispanic countries share the time they use this expression for, but it is safe to say that you can use it from 12 m. to 7 p.m.)
Good night: Buenas noches. (This expression can be used both in the night time as “Good evening” or as a goodbye right before going to sleep.)
2. Courtesy
Hispanic people love well-mannered foreigners. You’ll seem more friendly and respectful, and people will treat you even better than expected.
Please: Por favor.
Thank you: Gracias.
You’re welcome: De nada / No hay de qué (“Not at all”) / A la orden (Anytime. Literally: At your service.)
No, thanks: No, gracias.
Excuse me: Permiso (if you want to get somewhere and someone is in your way. You’ll want to add a “por favor” after that, otherwise you’ll sound rude.) / Perdone (to get someone’s attention.)
Sorry: Lo siento / Perdón / Disculpa.
It’s okay: Está bien.
How are you?: ¿Cómo estás?
3. Answers
Typical short answers that you must know already without even studying them.
Yes: Sí.
No: No.
I don’t know: No lo sé.
Really?: ¿En serio?
And you? / What about you?: ¿Y tú / Y a ti? (They basically mean the same thing, it’s just a grammatically different.)
4. Introductions
The fact that you don’t live in the same place or share the same language doesn’t mean you can’t make new friends. Get to know them using these:
What’s your name?: ¿Cómo te llamas?
My name is X: Mi nombre es X.
How old are you?: ¿Cuántos años tienes?
I’m X years old: Tengo X años. (I recommend looking up numbers in Spanish, since they will be pretty useful)
What do you like to do?: ¿Qué te gusta hacer?
I like to X: A mí me gusta X.
5. Communication problems
They are bound to happen, so it’s better to have a few phrases up your sleeve that will save you at any time.
I don’t understand: No entiendo.
Can you repeat, please?: ¿Puedes repetir, por favor?
What does X mean?: ¿Qué significa X?
How do you say X in Spanish?: ¿Cómo se dice X en español?
Do you speak English?: ¿Hablas inglés?
I don’t speak Spanish: No hablo español.
6. Time & Directions
Getting lost is unavoidable when you’re in a city for the first time, and it’s always useful to know how to ask for the time and directions in case you need it.
What time is it?: ¿Qué hora es?
Where are we?: ¿Dónde estamos?
Where is X?: ¿Dónde queda X?
Where’s the toilet?: ¿Dónde está el baño?
How do I get to X?: ¿Cómo llego a X?
To the left: A la izquierda.
To the right: A la derecha.
What bus should I take?: ¿Qué autobús debería tomar?
Where do I get off?: ¿Dónde bajo?
7. Health
In case you’re not feeling your best and you need to let someone know.
I’m not feeling well: No me siento bien.
Take me to the hospital: Llévame al hospital.
It hurts: Duele.
8. Shopping
It’s a pretty safe bet that you’ll be spending some money on clothes, electronics, and other souvenirs while visiting a new place, so it’s not out of place to learn common phrases in this context:
How much is this?: ¿Cuánto cuesta esto?
Where can I buy X?: ¿Dónde puedo comprar X?
Can I try it on?: ¿Puedo probármelo?
Can I pay cash?: ¿Puedo pagar con efectivo?
Can I pay by card?: ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?
Do you have this in size X?: ¿Tienes esto en talla X?
9. Restaurants
It’s also likely that you’ll enjoy some local food, so it’d be nice if you could impress your friends by ordering some food in Spanish.
A table for two, please: Una mesa para dos, por favor.
What’s on the menu?: ¿Qué hay en el menú?
I’ll have the same: Yo tendré lo mismo.
Can I have the bill, please?: La cuenta, por favor.
Beverages: Bebidas.
What can you recommend?: ¿Qué puede recomendar?
I’m allergic to X: Soy alérgico a X (Men) / Soy alérgica a X (Women)
(It’s always useful to know what you’re allergic to in Spanish, so you can let people know)
I don’t eat X: No como X.
A salad, please: Una ensalada, por favor.
How long will it take?: ¿Cuánto tarda la comida?
Even if you don’t want to commit to learning a new language full time, you can spare a few minutes to learn a few phrases that will make your stay in a Hispanic country a lot easier.
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