• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Road Affair

Stop Dreaming. Start Traveling.

Hide Search
  • Home
  • Browse
    • Guides & Tips
    • See & Do
    • Tech & Gear
    • Work & Volunteer
    • Places to Stay
    • Blogging
  • Destinations
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • Caribbean
    • Central America
    • Europe
    • Middle East
    • North America
    • Oceania
    • South America
  • Resources
  • Contact Us
  • Start a Blog
Show Search
Young woman tourist standing back with spanish flag in front of the famous cathedral on the central square during the sunny weather in Zaragoza city, Spain
RossHelen / shutterstock.com

Guides & Tips

Common Spanish Phrases Travelers Should Know

Ben December 14, 2022
Share
TwitterPinterestFacebookFlipboardEmail
Road Affair is reader-supported and may earn commission from purchases made through links in this article.

We are firm believers that if you opt to travel to a foreign country, you should at least know the basics of that country’s language and not expect everyone to speak your native tongue. Don’t just go there to see a country’s attractions rather interact with the locals. The only way you can do that is by learning common phrases.

Below are 100+ common Spanish phrases every traveler should know when traveling to a Spanish speaking country.

Meeting & Greeting (Be Friendly)

Hello. – Hola (oh-lah)

Good morning. – Buenos dias (bweh-nohss dee-ahss)

Good afternoon. – Buenas tardes (bweh-nahss tar-dess)

Good evening. – Buenas noches (bweh-nahss noh-chess)

Welcome. – Bienvenido (bwee-en-veh-nee-doh)

Come in. – Adelante (ah-dehl-ahn-teh)

Nice to meet you. – Mucho gusto (moo-choh goos-toh)

What’s your name? (for./inf.) – ¿Cómo se llama? (koh-moh seh yah-mah) OR ¿Cómo te llamas? (koh-moh teh yah-mahss)

My name is … – Me llamo … (meh yah-moh)

Where are you from? (for./inf.) – ¿De dónde es/eres? (deh dohn-de ess/ eh-ress)

I’m from … – Soy de … (soy deh)

How are you? (for./inf.) – ¿Cómo está[s] (koh-moh ess-tah[ss])

Fine, thank you. – Bien, gracias (bee-en, grah-see-ahss)

And yourself? (for./inf.) – ¿Y usted/tú? (ee oos-ted/too)

Goodbye. – Adiós. (ah-dee-ohss)

See you later. – Nos vemos./hasta luego. (nohss veh-mohss/ahss-tah lweh-goh)

Basic Courtesy (Learn Your Manners)

Please. – Por favor. (por fah-vor)

Thank you [very much]. – [Muchas] Gracias. ([mooh-chahss] grah-see-ahss)

You’re welcome. – De nada. (deh nah-dah)

Excuse me. – Disculpe. (dees-kool-peh)

I’m sorry. – Lo siento. (loh see-en-toh)

It’s ok. – Está bien. (ess-tah bee-en)

The Basics

Do you speak English? (for./inf.) – ¿Habla[s] inglés? (ah-blah[s] een-gless)

I don’t speak Spanish. – No hablo español. (noh ah-bloh ess-pah-nyohl)

Say again, please.  – Repita, por favor.  (reh-pee-tah, por fah-vor)

Speak slower, please. – Hable más despacio, por favor. (ah-bleh mahss dess-pah-see-oh, por fah-vor)

I don’ understand. – No comprendo. (noh kohm-pren-doh)

I [don’t] want to … – Yo [no] quiero … (yoh [noh] kee-eh-roh)

I would like to … – Me gustaría … (meh goos-tah-ree-ah)

Where is … ? – ¿Dónde está … ? (dohn-deh ess-tah)

Where is the bathroom? – ¿Dónde está el baño? (dohn-deh ess-tah el bah-nyoh)

How much does it cost? – ¿Cuánto cuesta? (kwahn-toh kwess-tah)?

What time is it? – ¿Qué hora es? (keh oh-rah ess)?

Do you have … ? – ¿Tiene … ? (tee-eh-neh)?

I [don’t] have … – Yo [no] tengo … (yoh [noh] ten-goh)

I don’t know. –No sé. (Noh seh)

Getting Around (Get Lost Without Actually Getting Lost)

How do I get to … ? – ¿Cómo llego a … ? (koh-moh yeh-goh ah)

Where is the bus stop? – ¿Dónde está la parada de autobús? (dohn-deh ess-tah lah pah-rah-dah del ow-toh-boos)

Let me out there, please. – Déjeme aquí, por favor. (dehheh-meh ah-kee, por fah-vor)

How much is the fare? – ¿Cuánto cuesta el pasaje? (kwahn-toh kwess-tah el pah-sah-heh)

I need a (city/area) map. – Necesito un mapa (de la ciudad/del areá). (Neh-seh-see-toh oon mah-pah (deh lah see-oo-dahd/del ah-reh-ah

Can you show me on the map? – ¿Puede señalaelo en el mapa? (pweh-deh seh-nyah-lar-loh en el mah-pah)

Right – derecha (deh-reh-chah)

Left – izquierda (ess-kee-eh-dah)

Straight ahead – Derecho (deh-reh-choh)

At the corner – En la esquina (a lah es-kee-nah)

In … block[s] – A … cuadra[s] –  (a cwah-drah[s])

Street – Calle (cah-yay)

Post office – Correo (cor-reoh)

Airport – Aeropuerto (i-roh-pwehr-toh)

Laundromat – Lavanderia (lah-vahn-deh-ree-ah)

A Place to Stay (Home Sweet Home)

How much is a room per night? – ¿Cuánto cuesta la habitación por noche? (kwah-toh kwess-tah lah ah-bee-tah-see-ohn po no-cheh)

I have a reservation. – Tengo una reservación. (ten-goh oo-nah reh-sehr-vah-see-ohn)

I would like a single/double room. – Quisiera una habitaction sencialla/doble. (kee-see-eh-rah oo-nah ah-bee-tah-see-ohn sen-see-yah/doh-bleh)

May I see the room? – ¿Puedo ver la habitactión? (pweh-doh vehr lah ah-bee-tah-see-ohn)

Does it have hot water/Wi-Fi? – ¿Tiene auga caliente/conexión inalámbrica? (Tee-eh-neh-ah ah-wah kah-lee-en-teh/ koh-nek-see-ohn een-ah-lahm-bree-kah)

Eating & Drinking (Taste the culture)

I’m [not] hungry. – [No] tengo hambre. ([noh] ten-goh ahm-breh)

The check, please. – La cuenta, por favor. (lah kwen-tah, por fah-vor)

Can I see the menu please? – ¿Puedo ver el menú, por favor? (pweh-doh ver el meh-noo)

Is the water filtered? – ¿Está filtrada el agua? (ess-tah feel-trah-dah el ah-gwah)

I’m allergic to … – Soy alérgico a … (soy ah-lehr-he-koh ah)

Service charge/tip – La propina (lah proh-pee-nah)

Beer – Cerveza (sehr-veh-sah)

Breakfast – Desayuno (deh-sah-yoo-noh)

Dinner – Cena (seh-nah)

Lunch – Almuerzo (al-mooh-er-soh)

Soup – Sopa (soh-pah)

Dessert – Postre (pohs-tray)

Water – Agua (ah-gwah)

Rice – Arroz (ah-rohss)

Beans – Frijoles (free-ho-les)

Chicken – Pollo (poh-yoh)

Roast beef – Carne asada (kar-neh ah-sah-dah)

Pork chop – Chuleta de cerdo (choo-leh-tah deh- sehr-doh)

Seafood – Mariscos (mah-rees-kohss)

Money & Shopping (Shop Till You Drop)

I would like a to buy a SIM card. – Quisiera comprar una tarjeta SIM.  (Kee-see-eh-rah kohm-prar oo-nah tar-heh-tah seem)

Where is the bank/ATM? – ¿Dónde hay un banco/cajero automático? (dohn-deh I oon bahn-koh/kah-heh-roh ow-toh-mah-tee-koh)

How much does this cost? – ¿Cuenta cuesta? (kwahn-toh kwess-tah)

I need a receipt. – Necesito un recibo. (Neh-seh-see-toh oon reh-see-boh)

Money – Dinero (dee-neh-roh)

Credit Card – Tarjetas de crédito (tar-heh-tahss deh kreh-dee-toh)

Bank – Banco (bahn-coh)

Cheap – Barato (bah-rah-toh)

Expensive – Caro (Kah-roh)

Sale – Rebaja (reh-bah-hah)

Emergencies

Help! – Ayuda! (ah-yoo-dah)

I have been robbed/assaulted. – Me han robado/asaltoado. (meh ahn roh-bah-doh/ah-sahl-tah-doh)

I lost my passport. – Perdi mi pasaporte. (pehr-dee mee pah-sah-por-teh)

Where is the hospital? – ¿Dónde está el hospital? (dohn-deh ess-tah el ohss-pee-tahl)

Call the police. – Llamen a la policia. (yah-men ah lah ph-lee-see-ah)

I need to go to the (u.s.) consulate/ the embassy. – Necesito ir al consulado/a la embajada [de Estados Unidos].  (Neh-seh-see-toh eer  ahl kohn-sool-ah-doh/ah lah embah-hah-dah [deh ess-tah-dohss oo-nee-dohss])

This list of common Spanish phrases barely scratches the surface. If you are serious about learning the language, practice with locals, write down words you don’t know and look them up later, or use language learning apps such as Duolingo.

Lastly, If you want to learn more common Spanish phrases buy this ridiculously cheap book, “Easy Spanish Phrase Book” and use it as your Spanish speaking guide. That is the same one we used when we first got to Cancun and for that price it is amazing.

Inspired? Pin this for later …

common-spanish-phrases_road-affair

Share
TwitterPinterestFacebookFlipboardEmail

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Celine says

    6 years ago

    Would love this in a printable format.

    Reply
    • Jazzy says

      6 years ago

      That is a great idea, we will look into doing that!

      Reply
  2. selphur says

    7 years ago

    I’ve studied Spanish for quite some time now and I completely approve this. Moreover, my experience shows that these phrases will drive you through almost any situation as a tourist traveling to Spain, and even this fails, it is usually enough as Spaniards are very welcoming people and usually do their best to understand you.

    Reply
  3. alison abbott says

    8 years ago

    It does come back once you start using it in the country. I didn’t realize there is a completely separate language in the Catalonia area of Spain, which of course added another level to my spanglish!

    Reply
    • Jazzy says

      8 years ago

      That’s so true Alison. The last time I took Spanish was in the 6th grade and when I arrived in Cancun, 14 years later I started to remember things. The mind is a beautiful/powerful thing.

      Reply
  4. Dannielle Lily says

    8 years ago

    Man this made me feel bad about not keeping my high school Spanish fresh! I really wanna live in Spain at some point so I’ll keep going over this list. Do you know any good spanish language learning apps?

    Reply
    • Ben says

      8 years ago

      I know how you feel Dannielle but once you there it will come back, little by little. Our favorite language learning app is Duolingo. It works like Rosetta Stone but it is free.

      Reply
  5. Alouise says

    8 years ago

    I’m going to Spain this fall, and I know a couple of words in Spanish, but not a lot. This will certainly come in handy.

    Reply
    • Ben says

      8 years ago

      We tried to list all the important ones. There are of course many more but knowing these should help you get by in Spain. Have fun.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Attractive woman relaxing in Marina Bay Sands infinity swimming pool, Singapore

3 Best Luxury Hotels in Singapore

Places to Stay

Woman Hiking

10 Best Travel Pants for Women & Men

Tech & Gear

Greyhound bus driving in Australia

Is the Greyhound WHIMit Pass Worth It? The Ultimate Guide

Guides & Tips

Beautiful girl using a hair dryer and smiling while looking at the mirror. Smiling woman drying hair with hair dry machine.

10 Best Travel Hair Dryers with Dual Voltage

Tech & Gear

cropped shot of man holding beach cooler while friends resting on sand behind

10 Best Camping Coolers & Ice Chests

Tech & Gear

You might also like...

Best Hostels in Barcelona

Places to Stay

12 Best Hostels in Barcelona, Spain

Tapas on display at a Tapas-Bar

GF Guides

Gluten-Free Barcelona: A Travel Guide for Celiacs

Fishing boats on beach in Cadaques white village, Costa Brava, Spain

See & Do

10 Best Day Trips from Barcelona

View of the famous Alhambra, Granada, Spain.

Guides & Tips

1 Day in Granada, Spain: The Perfect Granada Itinerary

Dorm room at Bastardo Hostel in Madrid

Places to Stay

Bastardo Hostel Madrid Review: Better Than at Home

Beautiful beach Cala Llombards at Majorca island with tropic turquoise sea water, Mediterranean Sea Spain.

See & Do

10 Best Places to Visit in Majorca / Mallorca

Park Guell by architect Gaudi in a summer day in Barcelona, Spain.

See & Do

9 Best Things to Do in Barcelona, Spain

Consuegra, Spain. Windmills of Don Quixote in Toledo province

See & Do

15 Best Day Trips from Madrid

Footer

Browse

  • Guides & Tips
  • See & Do
  • Tech & Gear
  • Work & Volunteer
  • Travel Resources

Destinations

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Caribbean
  • Central America
  • Europe
  • Middle East
  • North America
  • Oceania
  • South America

Resources

  • Best Travel Backpacks
  • Best Travel Insurance
  • How to Save Money for Travel
  • Packing List for Backpackers
  • How to Start a Blog

Company

  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Subscribe

Get more travel inspiration, tips and exclusive offers sent straight to your inbox

© 2023 Road Affair, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest