Useful Spanish phrases for everyday conversation
The phrases that keep a chat going. Talking about yourself, getting out of trouble when you're lost for words, and the little words Spanish people say all day long.
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| Español | English | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Soy de Inglaterra | I'm from England | soy deh een-gla-TEH-rra |
| Soy inglés / inglesa | I'm English (m / f) | soy een-GLES / een-GLEH-sa |
| Vivo en Basildon | I live in Basildon | BEE-bo en Basildon |
| Tengo treinta años | I'm thirty | TEN-go TRAYN-ta A-nyos |
| Trabajo en una oficina | I work in an office | tra-BA-ho en OO-na o-fee-THEE-na |
| Estoy aprendiendo español | I'm learning Spanish | es-TOY a-pren-DYEN-do es-pa-NYOL |
When you're stuck
| Español | English | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| No entiendo | I don't understand | no en-TYEN-do |
| ¿Puedes repetir, por favor? | Can you say that again, please? | PWEH-des reh-peh-TEER |
| Más despacio, por favor | Slower, please | mas des-PA-thyo |
| ¿Cómo se dice ... en español? | How do you say ... in Spanish? | KO-mo seh DEE-theh |
| ¿Qué significa ...? | What does ... mean? | keh seeg-nee-FEE-ka |
| Hablo un poco de español | I speak a bit of Spanish | A-blo oon PO-ko deh es-pa-NYOL |
| ¿Hablas inglés? | Do you speak English? | A-blas een-GLES |
Try the Spanish first. Even if you end up in English, people really do appreciate it.
The little words everyone uses
Drop a few of these in and you'll sound far more natural.
| Español | English | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Vale | OK | BA-leh |
| Venga | Come on / OK then / right, bye | BEN-ga |
| Bueno... | Well... | BWEH-no |
| Pues... | So... / well... | pwes |
| Claro | Of course | KLA-ro |
| ¡Qué guay! | How cool! | keh GWAI |
| No pasa nada | No worries / it's fine | no PA-sa NA-da |
| ¡Qué va! | No way! / not at all | keh BA |
| ¿En serio? | Really? | en SEH-ryo |
| Ya | I know / yeah | ya |
Asking for things
| Español | English | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Quería ... | I'd like ... | keh-REE-a |
| ¿Me pones ...? | Can I get ...? (in a bar) | meh PO-nes |
| ¿Tienes ...? | Have you got ...? | TYEH-nes |
| ¿Cuánto es? | How much is it? | KWAN-to es |
| ¿Dónde está ...? | Where is ...? | DON-deh es-TA |
| ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? | Can I pay by card? | PWEH-do pa-GAR kon tar-HEH-ta |
Off on holiday? My blog post on Spanish phrases for a holiday in Spain has the airport, hotel and restaurant ones.
Keeping the chat going
| Español | English | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| ¿De dónde eres? | Where are you from? | deh DON-deh EH-res |
| ¿A qué te dedicas? | What do you do? | a keh teh deh-DEE-kas |
| ¿Qué haces este fin de semana? | What are you doing this weekend? | keh A-thes ES-teh feen deh seh-MA-na |
| ¿Te gusta ...? | Do you like ...? | teh GOOS-ta |
| ¿Y tú? | And you? | ee TOO |
Saying what you think
| Español | English | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Me gusta / No me gusta | I like it / I don't like it | meh GOOS-ta |
| Me encanta | I love it | meh en-KAN-ta |
| Creo que sí / Creo que no | I think so / I don't think so | KREH-o keh SEE / NO |
| Estoy de acuerdo | I agree | es-TOY deh a-KWER-do |
| Depende | It depends | deh-PEN-deh |
| ¡Qué rico! | Yum! / that's delicious | keh RREE-ko |
Keep going: Greetings · Food and drink · Spanish slang (16+) · All my free Spanish guides, flashcards and games.
Questions people ask
What are the most useful Spanish phrases?
Hola (hello), por favor (please), gracias (thank you), no entiendo (I don't understand), ¿cuánto es? (how much is it?) and vale (OK).
What does vale mean in Spanish?
Vale means OK. It's used all the time in Spain to agree, to say fine, or to wrap up a conversation.
How do you say I'm learning Spanish in Spanish?
Estoy aprendiendo español (es-TOY a-pren-DYEN-do es-pa-NYOL).
What does no pasa nada mean?
It means no worries, it's fine, or don't worry about it. Handy if someone says sorry to you.
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