Travelling to a Spanish-speaking country? Whether it’s for business or pleasure, it is always helpful to know some basic phrases in Spanish to communicate with locals or navigate your way around. With over 500 million Spanish speakers in the world, Spanish is the second most spoken language globally. Below is a beginner’s guide to some common Spanish phrases for travel.
Greetings and Basic Phrases
When visiting a Spanish-speaking country, knowing how to greet people will go a long way in building rapport. Here are some basic phrases to get you started:
English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|
Hello | Hola | Oh-la |
Good morning | Buenos días | Bway-nos dee-as |
Good afternoon | Buenas tardes | Bway-nas tar-days |
Good evening | Buenas noches | Bway-nas no-chez |
How are you? | ¿Cómo estás? | Koh-moh es-tas? |
I’m fine, thank you | Estoy bien, gracias | Es-toy bee-en, grah-see-ass |
Ordering Food and Drinks
Trying local cuisine is an essential part of travelling. Here are some phrases that will come in handy when ordering food and drinks:
English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|
I would like… | Quiero… | Key-eh-roh… |
Can I have…? | ¿Me puedes dar…? | May pweh-des dar…? |
The bill, please | La cuenta, por favor | La kwen-ta, por fa-vor |
Excuse me, the menu please | Disculpe, el menú por favor | Dis-cool-peh, el meh-noo por fa-vor |
Cheers! | ¡Salud! | Sa-lud! |
Asking for Directions
Getting lost in a new place can be stressful. Here are some phrases that will help you ask for directions:
English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|
Excuse me, where is…? | Disculpe, ¿dónde está…? | Dis-cool-peh, don-deh es-ta…? |
How do I get to…? | ¿Cómo llego a…? | Koh-moh yeh-go a…? |
Straight ahead | Todo recto | Toh-doh rehk-toh |
To the left | A la izquierda | Ah lah eez-kee-ehr-dah |
To the right | A la derecha | Ah lah day-ray-cha |
Emergency Situations
Although no one wants to think about emergencies, it’s vital to know how to communicate in such situations. Here are some phrases that can help:
English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|
Help! | ¡Ayuda! | Ah-yoo-dah! |
Call the police | Llame a la policía | Ya-meh ah lah po-li-see-ah |
Call an ambulance | Llame a una ambulancia | Ya-meh ah oo-nah am-boo-lan-syah |
I need a doctor | Necesito un médico | Neh-seh-see-toh oon meh-dee-koh |
Conclusion
Learning some basic Spanish phrases can make your travel experience more comfortable and enjoyable. With these common phrases in Spanish, you can communicate with locals and navigate your way around with ease. ¡Buen viaje!