Phrase sheet

Your travel experience in Mexico will be richer by learning these basic phrases:

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My name is ...
Me llamo es…  may YAH-moh es

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What is your name?
Como se llama?  KOH-moh say YAH-mah

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How are you?
Como estas?  KOH-moh es-TAHS

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Hi (casual)
Hola  OH-lah

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Nice to meet you
Mucho gusto  MOO-choh GOO-stoh

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See you
Hasta la vista  ah-STAF lah-VEES-tah

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Goodbye
Adios  ah-dee-YOHS

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Good morning
Buenos dias  BWAY-nohs DEE-yahs

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Good afternoon
Buenas tardes  BWAY-nahs TAR-dehs

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Good evening/Good night
Buenas noches  BWAY-nahs NOH-chehs

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Pardon me
Perdoneme  pehr-DOH-neh-may

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I’m sorry
Lo siento  loh see-YEN-toh

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Please
Por favor  por fah-VOHR

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Thank you
Gracias  GRAH-see-yas

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You’re welcome/Don’t mention it
De nada  day NAH-dah

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What time is it?
Que hora es  kay OH’-rah es

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What?
Que  kay

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Who?
Quien  KEE’-yen

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Why?
Por que  Pohr KAY

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Yes
Si  see

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No
No  noh

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How?
Como  KOH-moh

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Where?
Donde  DOHN-day

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When?
Cuando? KWAN’-doh

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Closed
Cerrado  sehr-RAH-doh

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Open
Abierto  ah-bee-YEHR-toh

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Bad
Mal  mahl

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Good
Bien  bee-YEN

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The menu…
La carta  la KAHR-tah

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I’d like…
Quisiera  kee-see-EHR-ah

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Is there?
Hay  aye

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How much?
Cuanto  KWAN’-toh

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The check
La cuenta la KWEN-tah

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Do you understand?
Comprende?  kohm-PREN-day

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I don’t understand
No comprendo  noh kohm-PREN-doh

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Do you speak English?
Habla Ingles  AH-blah een-GLAYS

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Helpful Spanish
language pointers

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Letter H
This letter is not pronounced. Remember, it is always silent.

Double L
Always pronounce the double L as a Y sound. For instance, the llama animal is correctly pronounced yah-mah.

Syllables
In Spanish, each syllable is almost always spoken separately and distinctly. Do not run them together. For example, for "gracias", say grah'-see-yas, not grah'-seeas.

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