The short answer
Start with ten phrases: Hola, Gracias, Por favor, Adiós, Perdón, ¿Habla inglés?, Quisiera…, ¿Cuánto cuesta?, ¿Dónde está el baño? and La cuenta, por favor. They work in Spain and Latin America alike. Practice 15 minutes a day for two weeks, out loud, and learn the few words that change by country, like zumo and jugo for juice.
Which Spanish phrases should you learn first?
Learn the ten phrases below first. They cover greetings, asking for things, paying and finding the bathroom, and they are understood in every Spanish-speaking country.
| Spanish | Meaning | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hola | Hello | OH-lah |
| Gracias | Thank you | GRAH-syahs |
| Por favor | Please | por fah-BOR |
| Adiós | Goodbye | ah-DYOHS |
| Perdón | Sorry, excuse me | pehr-DOHN |
| ¿Habla inglés? | Do you speak English? | AH-blah een-GLEHS |
| Quisiera… | I would like… | kee-SYEH-rah |
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | How much is it? | KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah |
| ¿Dónde está el baño? | Where is the bathroom? | DOHN-deh ehs-TAH el BAH-nyoh |
| La cuenta, por favor | The check, please | lah KWEN-tah por fah-BOR |
Two more are worth adding: No entiendo (noh en-TYEN-doh, "I don't understand") and ¿Puede repetir, por favor? (PWEH-deh reh-peh-TEER, "Can you repeat that, please?").
How is Spanish in Spain different from Latin America?
The grammar and most words are the same, so phrases from either side work everywhere. The main differences are a few everyday words, one form of "you", and how some letters sound.
| Meaning | Spain | Latin America |
|---|---|---|
| You (plural, informal) | vosotros | ustedes |
| Car | el coche | el carro (el auto in Argentina and Chile) |
| Juice | el zumo | el jugo |
| OK, sure | vale | está bien, dale or sale, depending on the country |
| Cell phone | el móvil | el celular |
| Potatoes | las patatas | las papas |
| Bus | el autobús | el autobús, el camión (Mexico) or el colectivo (Argentina) |
| How z and ce/ci sound | th, as in gracias: GRAH-thyahs | s, as in gracias: GRAH-syahs |
The respellings in this guide use the Latin American s sound. In most of Spain, say a soft "th" for z and for c before e or i. In Spain you will also hear vale (BAH-leh) constantly: it means "OK" and is a handy word to use yourself.
What Spanish do you need in each situation?
Each table covers one situation you will meet on a family trip. Where Spain and Latin America differ, both words are given.
Greetings and politeness
| Spanish | Meaning | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Buenos días | Good morning | BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs |
| Buenas tardes | Good afternoon | BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs |
| Buenas noches | Good evening, good night | BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs |
| Muchas gracias | Thank you very much | MOO-chahs GRAH-syahs |
| De nada | You're welcome | deh NAH-dah |
| Sí / No | Yes / No | see / noh |
| Disculpe | Excuse me (to get attention) | dees-KOOL-peh |
| Mucho gusto | Nice to meet you | MOO-choh GOOS-toh |
At the café or restaurant
| Spanish | Meaning | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Una mesa para cuatro, por favor | A table for four, please | OO-nah MEH-sah PAH-rah KWAH-troh |
| La carta, por favor | The menu, please | lah KAR-tah por fah-BOR |
| ¿Tienen menú infantil? | Do you have a kids' menu? | TYEH-nen meh-NOO een-fahn-TEEL |
| Agua, por favor | Water, please | AH-gwah por fah-BOR |
| Un zumo de naranja (Spain) / Un jugo de naranja (Latin America) | An orange juice | oon THOO-moh deh nah-RAHN-hah / oon HOO-goh deh nah-RAHN-hah |
| Soy alérgico / alérgica a… | I am allergic to… (man / woman) | soy ah-LEHR-hee-koh / ah-LEHR-hee-kah ah |
| ¡Buen provecho! | Enjoy your meal | bwen proh-BEH-choh |
| La cuenta, por favor | The check, please | lah KWEN-tah por fah-BOR |
In Spain, lunch is often eaten around 2 p.m. and dinner after 9 p.m. Many restaurants offer a menú del día, a good-value set lunch.
In shops and at the bakery
| Spanish | Meaning | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Me da una barra de pan? | Could I have a loaf of bread? | meh DAH OO-nah BAH-rrah deh PAHN |
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | How much is it? | KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah |
| Solo estoy mirando, gracias | I'm just looking, thanks | SOH-loh ehs-TOY mee-RAHN-doh GRAH-syahs |
| ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? | Can I pay by card? | PWEH-doh pah-GAR kohn tar-HEH-tah |
| Una bolsa, por favor | A bag, please | OO-nah BOHL-sah por fah-BOR |
| Nada más, gracias | That's all, thanks | NAH-dah MAHS GRAH-syahs |
Getting around
| Spanish | Meaning | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Dónde está la estación de tren? | Where is the train station? | DOHN-deh ehs-TAH lah ehs-tah-SYOHN deh TREN |
| Un billete para…, por favor (Spain) / Un boleto para… (Latin America) | A ticket to…, please | oon bee-YEH-teh PAH-rah / oon boh-LEH-toh PAH-rah |
| A la izquierda / A la derecha | Left / Right | ah lah ees-KYEHR-dah / ah lah deh-REH-chah |
| Todo recto (Spain) / Derecho (Latin America) | Straight ahead | TOH-doh REK-toh / deh-REH-choh |
| ¿Está lejos? | Is it far? | ehs-TAH LEH-hohs |
At the hotel
| Spanish | Meaning | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Tengo una reserva (Spain) / reservación (Latin America) a nombre de… | I have a reservation under the name… | TEN-goh OO-nah reh-SEHR-bah / reh-sehr-bah-SYOHN ah NOHM-breh deh |
| La llave, por favor | The key, please | lah YAH-beh por fah-BOR |
| ¿A qué hora es el desayuno? | What time is breakfast? | ah keh OH-rah ehs el deh-sah-YOO-noh |
| ¿Cuál es la contraseña del wifi? | What is the wifi password? | kwahl ehs lah kohn-trah-SEH-nyah del WEE-fee |
| Una cuna | A crib | OO-nah KOO-nah |
At the pharmacy or if you need help
| Spanish | Meaning | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Dónde está la farmacia? | Where is the pharmacy? | DOHN-deh ehs-TAH lah far-MAH-syah |
| Me duele la cabeza | I have a headache | meh DWEH-leh lah kah-BEH-sah |
| Mi hijo tiene fiebre | My son has a fever | mee EE-hoh TYEH-neh FYEH-breh |
| Mi hija tiene fiebre | My daughter has a fever | mee EE-hah TYEH-neh FYEH-breh |
| Llame a un médico | Call a doctor | YAH-meh ah oon MEH-dee-koh |
| ¡Ayuda! | Help | ah-YOO-dah |
In Spain, the emergency number is 112. Many Latin American countries use 911, but check the number for the country you are visiting before you go.
With kids
| Spanish | Meaning | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Dónde está el baño? | Where is the bathroom? | DOHN-deh ehs-TAH el BAH-nyoh |
| ¿Tienen una trona (Spain) / una silla alta (Latin America)? | Do you have a high chair? | TYEH-nen OO-nah TROH-nah / OO-nah SEE-yah AHL-tah |
| ¿Hay un parque infantil cerca? | Is there a playground nearby? | eye oon PAR-keh een-fahn-TEEL SEHR-kah |
| ¿Hay un cambiador? | Is there a changing table? | eye oon kahm-byah-DOR |
| Tiene hambre | He / She is hungry | TYEH-neh AHM-breh |
| He perdido a mi hijo / hija | I have lost my son / daughter | eh pehr-DEE-doh ah mee EE-hoh / EE-hah |
How can you learn them fast?
Practice 15 minutes a day for two weeks, out loud, one situation at a time. Spanish is spelled the way it sounds, so once you know the vowels you can read most words aloud correctly.
| Days | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | The 10 core phrases | Say each one aloud five times. Greet each other in Spanish at breakfast. |
| 4–5 | Greetings and politeness | Use buenos días, buenas tardes and buenas noches at the right time of day. |
| 6–7 | Café and restaurant | Order dinner in Spanish. One person plays the server. |
| 8–9 | Shops and bakery | Set up a pretend shop with prices and play money. |
| 10–11 | Getting around and hotel | Give directions around the house: a la izquierda, a la derecha. |
| 12–13 | Pharmacy and kids | Learn the bathroom question and the help phrases by heart. |
| 14 | Full role-play | Act out a whole day of the trip, from breakfast to the playground. |
What pronunciation and politeness tips help most?
Spanish vowels are short and always sound the same, which makes pronunciation easier than it looks. A few tips cover most of what you need.
- Five pure vowels. a as in "father", e as in "bet", i as in "see", o as in "note" (short), u as in "food".
- h is silent. Hola is OH-lah, and hijo is EE-hoh.
- j sounds like a strong h. Jugo is HOO-goh.
- ll sounds like y in most places. Llave is YAH-beh.
- ñ sounds like ny. Baño is BAH-nyoh.
- Use usted with adults you don't know. It is the polite "you". Tú is for friends, family and children.
- Greet before you ask. Say buenos días or hola before asking a question in a shop or on the street.
For a fuller plan for the weeks before you leave, see how to prepare kids for a trip abroad. If Spanish is staying with you after the trip, Spanish for kids has starter words by everyday theme.
