Basic Spanish phrases

what every traveler should know

Spanish
phrase sheet

Your travel experience in Spain will be richer if you learn some basic phrases. Here is my personal learn-first list of Spanish phrases:

Good morning

Buenos dias

bway’-nohs dee’-yahs

Good afternoon

Buenas tardes

bway’-nahs tar’-dehs

Good evening/Good night

Buenas noches

bway’-nahs noh’-chehs

My name is ...

Me llamo es…

may yah’-moh es

What is your name?

Como se llama?

koh’-moh say yah’-mah

Hi (casual)

Hola

oh’-lah

How are you? (formal)

Como esta usted?

koh’-moh es-tah’ oo-sted

How are you? (informal)

Como estas?

koh’-moh es-tahs’

Nice to meet you

Mucho gusto

moo’-choh goo’-stoh

See you

Hasta la vista

ah-stah’ lah-vees’-tah

Goodbye

Adios

ah-dee-yohs’

Please

Por favor

por fah-vohr’

Thank you

Gracias

grah’-see-yas

You’re welcome/Don’t mention it

De nada

day nah’-dah

Pardon me

Perdoneme

pehr-doh’-neh-may

I’m sorry

Lo siento

loh see-yen’-toh

Yes

Si

see

No

No

noh

What?

Que

kay

Who?

Quien

Kee’-yen

Why?

Por que

Pohr kay’

How?

Como

koh’-moh

When?

Cuando?

kwan’-doh

What time is it?

Que hora es

kay oh’-rah es

Where?

Donde

dohn’-day

Can you help me?

Puede ayudarme

pweh’-day ah-yoo-dahr’-may

Good

Bien

bee-yen’

Bad

Mal

mahl

Open

Abierto

ah-bee-yehr’-toh

Closed

Cerrado

sehr-rah’-doh

Is there?

Hay

aye

I’d like…

Quisiera

kee-see-ehr’-ah

The menu…

La carta

la kahr’-tah

How much?

Cuanto

kwan’-toh

The check, please

La cuenta, por favor

la kwen’-tah, por fah-vohr’

Do you speak English? (formal)

Habla usted Ingles?

ah’-blah oo-sted’ een-glays’

Do you speak English? (informal)

Habla Ingles

ah’-blah een-glays’

I don’t speak Spanish

No hablo Espanol

noh ah’-bloh ehs-spahn-yol’

Do you understand? (formal)

Entiende usted?

en-tyen’-day oo-sted’

Do you understand? (informal)

Entiendes? (or comprende?)

en-tyen-days’

(or kohm-pren’-day)

I don’t understand

No entiendo

noh ehn-tyen’-doh

How do you say in…?

Como se dice en…

koh’-moh say dee-say’ en…

Spanish phrase

tips & insights

Syllables
Each syllable is almost always pronounced separately in Spanish.

Letter H
It is not pronounced; it’s always silent.

Double L
Pronounce the double L as a Y sound. For example, llama (name) is pronounced yah-mah.

My Spanish

cuisine guide

I hope your Spain travel dreams come true - and that my

Basic Spanish Phrases page helps you enjoy your vacation, tour or trip

Web page ©2008 HQP / Hillman Quality Publications