Everyone knows the standard stuff like hola, buenos dias, por favor and so on. But if you’re a regular visitor, these ten Spanish phrases will help you notch it up a gear.
¿Dónde Está……..?
“Where is…..?” Such a useful Spanish phrase and one you can use everywhere – just add whatever you need on the end, for example ¿Donde está el baño? for “Where is the bathroom?”
Pronounced donday-esta – the accents mean you “Push” on that part of the word, the o in donde and the a in esta.
Quiero una mesa para dos
“I would like a table for two.”
Quiero is a super useful word to know – “I would like / I want.”
Pronounced exactly as it’s written.
Quiero la cuenta, por favor
“I would like the bill, please.”
Adding the “Quiero” and the “Por Favor” is so much more polite than shouting “Cuenta” and making a rectangle shape with your fingers.
Again, pronounced exactly as it’s written.
No hablo Español bien
“I don’t speak Spanish well.”
This is a banker Spanish phrase that will often get you out of trouble.
Drop the “H” on hablo – “ablo” and the “n” in Español is a “nya” sound so “espanyol.”
Quiero una copa de vino blanco / tinto
“I would like a glass of white / red wine.”
Everyone needs to know how to order a glass of wine!
Pronounced exactly how it looks.
¿Hablas Ingles?
“Do you speak English?”
This one can be a lifesaver when you get into problems.
Again drop the “h” so it becomes “Ablas.”
Disculpe
“Excuse me.”
Super useful when you want to ask for help from anyone or even interrupt a conversation.
Pronounced “discoolpay.”
¿Cuanto cuesta?
“How much does it cost?”
Especially good one on the markets.
Pronounced as you’d expect.
Hable despacio, por favor
“Speak slower, please.”
This helps when you use any of the above and are confronted with a stream of Spanish you don’t understand.
Again drop the “h”, so “ablay-despasio.”
¿Cómo se llama?
“What is your name?”
Everyone loves being called by their name.
A double “L” in Spanish is pronounced like a “y,” so “como-say-yama.”
So there you go – not a hint of rocket science, but they’re all useful Spanish phrases you can probably use every single day here.
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