If you’re beginner or want to sound more natural, in this article, you’ll find some common Spanish phrases that can help you get around in daily situations and engage in simple conversations.
Here is how I’ve classified these basic phrase:
Greetings & Polite PhrasesBasic Spanish Phrases for Daily SituationsPhrases for RestaurantsBasic Sentences for Moving Around the City Common Phrases for Work & SchoolNext Steps & ResourcesDownloadable PDFPopular Spanish Greetings & Polite PhrasesBuenos días: Good dayCon permiso: Excuse meDe nada: You’re welcomeEl gusto es mío: The pleasure is mineHasta luego: See you laterHasta mañana: See you tomorrow Hola, ¿cómo estás?: Hi, how are you?Muchas gracias: Thank you very muchMucho gusto: Nice to meet youMuy bien, ¿y tú?: Very well and you?No hay problema: No problemNo muy bien: Not very wellNos vemos luego: See you laterQue le vaya bien: Have a good day / Hope everything goes wellQue tengas buen día: Have a good dayCommon Spanish Phrases for Daily SituationsAhorita regreso / Ahorita vuelvo: I’ll be right back Como quieras: As you wishEspérame: Wait for meEstoy muy cansado: I’m very tiredEstoy ocupado: I’m busy¿Me puedes ayudar?: Can you help me?No entiendo: I don’t understandNo es necesario: It’s not necessaryNo estoy seguro: I’m not sureNo puedo: I can’tNo sé: I don’t knowNo sé cómo + [infinitivo]: I don’t know how to…No tiene sentido: It doesn’t make senseNo te puedo ayudar: I can’t help youPobre de ti: Poor of youPorque sí: Because¡Qué bueno!: Good!¿Qué haces?: What are you doing? / What are you up to?¿Qué necesitas?: What do you need?¿Qué quieres decir?: What do you want to say?¿Qué quieres hacer?: What do you want to do?Siento oír eso: I’m sorry to hear thatSupongo que sí: I guess soTiene sentido: It makes senseTienes razon: You’re rightTengo ganas de: I feel likeTengo mucha hambre: I’m very hungryTómate tu tiempo: Take your time Ya me voy: I’m leavingVamos a + [lugar / verbo] : Let’s go to…Vamos por + [sustantivo]: Let’s go get…Vámonos: Let’s goCheck these examples:
¿Vamos a ir al cine más tarde?Are we going to the movies later?
¿Qué haces? ¿Estás ocupado?What are you doing? Are you busy?
SpanishEnglishPersona #1: ¿Qué quieres hacer?Person #1: What do you want to do?Persona #2: Tengo ganas de ir al cine. Person #2: I feel like going to the movies. Basic Spanish Phrases for RestaurantsWhether you’re learning Spanish for traveling or have different goals, you likely need to use some Spanish to order food. Here are some common phrases native speakers use in this context:
Es para llevar: It’s to go¿Esta silla está ocupada?: Is this seat taken?La cuenta, por favor: The bill, please¿Me da..?: Can you give me?¿Me puede dar unos minutos?: Can you give me a few minutes?¿Me puede traer…?: Can you bring me…?Mesa para…: Table for…¿Puedo ver el menú, por favor?: Can I see the menu, please?Quisiera…: I would like…¿Tendrá una mesa disponible?: Do you have a table available?Check these sentences:
¿Me puede traer un tenedor limpio?Can you bring me a clean fork?
Quisiera la ensalada de pollo y sopa.I would like the chicken salad and soup.
Mesa para cinco, por favor. Table for five, please.
Common Spanish Phrases for Moving Around the CityAbre a: It opens at¿A qué hora pasa el autobús?: What time does the bus come?Cierra a: It closes at¿Cómo llego a…?: How do I get to…?¿Cuánto hace a…?: How long to…? ¿Dónde está…?: Where is…?¿Dónde hay…?: Where is…?¿Dónde puedo tomar un taxi?: Where can I take a cab?Estoy buscando: I’m looking forEstoy perdido: I’m lostNecesito llegar a: I need to get toAnd here are some examples of how to use these basic Spanish phrases in context:
Necesito llegar al hospital. I need to get to the hospital.
Disculpe, ¿dónde hay una librería?Excuse me, where is the library?
El museo abre a las 8 y cierra a las 9. The museum opens at 8 and closes at 9.
Take Note: If you want to ask or give directions in Spanish, you should learn some essential prepositions of place and specific questions for this context.
Key Phrases for Work & School¿A qué hora es…?: What time is…?¿A qué hora se termina…?: What time does the…end?¿A qué estamos hoy?: What’s today’s date?¿Cómo se escribe…?: How do you spell…?¿Cuál es la fecha de entrega?: What’s the deadline?¿De qué se trató…? What was the…about?¿En qué le puedo ayudar?: How can I help you?Estoy de acuerdo: I agree with youEstoy por: I am about to¿Me puedes explicar otra vez?: Can you explain this to me again?¿Qué día es…?: What day is…?¿Qué necesitas?: What do you need?¿Qué opinas?: What do you think?¿Qué página?: What page?Permítame un momento: Give me a momentPor favor, llámeme a: Please, call me atYo tampoco entiendo: I don’t understand eitherYo tampoco sé: I don’t know eitherVamos a tomar una pausa: Let’s take a breakCheck these examples:
¿A qué hora es la reunión?What time is the meeting?
¿Qué día es el examen?What day is the exam?
Estoy por terminar tu diseño. I am about to finish your design.
¿De qué se trató la clase?What was the class about?
Additional Resources for Spanish BeginnersNow that you know some common Spanish phrases, you may also want to learn basic words and common questions we can use in daily life situations. If you’re ready to take your Spanish to the next level, you should learn basic common verbs and conjugation rules so you start customizing your questions and phrases.
Download the Common Spanish Phrases & Sentences PDFReading all of these phrases and sentences in Spanish is one thing. Knowing them by heart, how they work, and how to customize them takes time and practice. If you’d like to take this list of common Spanish phrases with you, feel free to download the PDF for this guide. It has all the phrases grouped by category so you can start applying them in your conversations.
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