These are the everyday Spanish phrases a beginner needs first, one page per phrase: greetings, please and thank you, apologies, prices, directions and what to say when you don't understand. Each page gives the Spain Spanish form, a pronunciation guide, the tú and usted versions, how to reply and the Latin American differences. Start with hola, por favor and gracias.
- Spanish taught
- Spain Spanish, with Latin American notes
- Level
- A1, for complete beginners
- On each page
- Pronunciation, formal and casual forms, replies, common mistakes
- You
- tú for friends, family and people your age; usted for strangers and older people
- Real usage
- Most pages quote a line from a Contos story chapter
- How to say beautiful in SpanishBonito, precioso, hermoso or guapo? How to say beautiful in Spanish for places, things and people, and why es guapa and está guapa differ.
- How to say cheers in Spanish¡Salud! is cheers in Spanish. How to make a toast with brindar por, what to say in a Spanish bar, and why salud also means bless you.
- How to say delicious in SpanishEstá rico, buenísimo or delicioso? How to say delicious in Spanish, why it takes estar, and how to compliment the cook in Spain.
- How to say "Do you speak English?" in Spanish¿Habla inglés? or ¿hablas inglés? How to ask if someone speaks English in Spanish, say you speak a little Spanish, and name languages.
- How to say excuse me in SpanishPerdone, disculpe or con permiso? How to say excuse me in Spanish to get attention, get past someone, or ask someone to repeat.
- How to say good morning in SpanishBuenos días is good morning in Spanish. When to switch to buenas tardes, why it is plural, how to reply, and the Argentine buen día.
- How to say good night in SpanishBuenas noches means both good evening and good night in Spanish. When to say it, bedtime phrases like que descanses, and how to reply.
- How to say goodbye in SpanishAdiós, hasta luego, nos vemos or chao? The ways to say goodbye in Spanish, formal and casual, in Spain and Latin America.
- How to say happy birthday in SpanishFeliz cumpleaños or felicidades? How to say happy birthday in Spanish, ask someone's age, write a card and reply to birthday wishes.
- How to say hello in SpanishHola, buenas or buenos días? How to say hello in Spanish, how to greet people in Spain and Latin America, and how to answer the phone.
- How to say 'How are you?' in Spanish¿Cómo estás?, ¿cómo está usted? or ¿qué tal? How to ask how someone is in Spanish, formal or informal, and how to answer.
- How to say "How much is it?" in Spanish¿Cuánto cuesta?, ¿cuánto es? or ¿cuánto vale? How to ask prices in Spanish, understand the answer in euros, and pay in a shop or market.
- How to say "I don't understand" in SpanishNo entiendo, no comprendo or no me entero? How to say I don't understand in Spanish and ask people to repeat, slow down or explain.
- How to say I love you in SpanishTe quiero or te amo? How to say I love you in Spanish to a partner, family or friends, how to reply, and the pet names people use.
- How to say I miss you in SpanishTe echo de menos or te extraño? How to say I miss you in Spanish, in Spain and Latin America, plus how to reply and miss places and things.
- How to say "my name is" in SpanishMe llamo, soy or mi nombre es? How to say my name is in Spanish, ask someone's name, spell it, and handle two Spanish surnames.
- How to say nice to meet you in SpanishEncantado, encantada or mucho gusto? How to say nice to meet you in Spanish, which ending to use, and how to reply when someone says it.
- How to say please in SpanishPor favor is please in Spanish. Where it goes in a sentence, how it changes with tú and usted, and how Spaniards ask politely without it.
- How to say see you later in SpanishHasta luego, hasta ahora or nos vemos luego? How to say see you later in Spanish, from in a minute to next week, in Spain and Latin America.
- How to say sorry in SpanishLo siento, perdón or disculpa? How to say sorry in Spanish, apologise formally, and answer an apology with no pasa nada.
- How to say thank you in SpanishGracias, muchas gracias or se lo agradezco? How to say thank you in Spanish, thank someone for something, and pronounce it in Spain.
- How to ask for the bill in SpanishLa cuenta, por favor or ¿me cobras? How to ask for the bill in Spanish, split it, pay by card, and tip in Spain without overdoing it.
- How to ask where the toilet is in Spanish¿Dónde está el baño? or ¿dónde están los servicios? How to ask where the toilet is in Spanish, understand the answer and read the signs.
- How to say yes and no in SpanishSí, no, vale or claro? How to say yes and no in Spanish, why sí has an accent, how Spaniards say OK, and how to answer a question.
- How to say you're welcome in SpanishDe nada, no hay de qué or a ti? How to say you're welcome in Spanish, formal and casual, with the regional replies used in Latin America.
Which Spanish phrases should you learn first?
Five phrases carry a beginner through most short exchanges in Spain. Learn them in this order:
- Hola works with anyone at any hour. Add buenos días in the morning for a politer start.
- Por favor, though in a Spanish bar the question does most of the work: ¿me pones un café?
- Gracias, and the reply you will hear back, de nada.
- Perdone to stop a stranger or call a waiter; perdona to someone your own age.
- No entiendo, followed by ¿puede hablar más despacio?
With those five you can open a conversation, ask for something, thank someone, interrupt politely and slow a fast speaker down. Before a trip, add ¿cuánto cuesta?, ¿dónde está el baño? and la cuenta, por favor.
Tú or usted: which should a beginner use?
Spain uses tú far more readily than most of Latin America. Younger people, colleagues and bar staff will often call you tú from the first sentence. Keep usted for older people, officials and anyone who uses it with you first. If you are unsure, start with usted and let the other person switch: nobody minds being treated politely.
The choice changes the verb, not only the pronoun: perdona becomes perdone, ¿hablas inglés? becomes ¿habla inglés?, and tu (your) becomes su. In this A1 Contos chapter, a stranger who returned a lost wallet leaves a note written entirely in usted forms:
Perdone, encontré su cartera en el Metro.Frequently asked questions
What are the most common Spanish phrases?
Hola, gracias, por favor, perdón, lo siento, adiós, hasta luego, ¿qué tal? and ¿cuánto cuesta? come up on almost any day in Spain. The pages above cover each of them, plus phrases for toasts, birthdays, compliments and restaurants.
Are Spanish phrases different in Latin America?
Mostly in small ways. Spain says vosotros for "you all" and uses tú more freely; Latin America uses ustedes for everyone and more usted. Some words change too: many Argentines say buen día where Spaniards say buenos días. Each page flags the differences that matter.
How do I remember Spanish phrases?
Meet them in context. A phrase you read inside a story, said by a character you know, sticks better than one on a list. In Contos you can tap any word in a chapter to see its meaning and save it as a flashcard for spaced review.
Do I need grammar to use these phrases?
Not at first. Learn hola or ¿cuánto cuesta? as fixed chunks and use them. Grammar starts to matter when you want to change a phrase: perdona versus perdone is most learners' first taste of tú and usted verb endings.