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Spanish phrases
for travellers
how to say hello in spanish
Hola — OH-lah — is how you say hello in Spanish. It works at any hour, anywhere the language is spoken, with anyone. Pair it with Gracias (GRAH-syahs) for thank you and you already have the two words you will use most.
Below are 36 phrases worth knowing before you land, grouped by the situation you will need them in. Every one has a plain-English respelling — stressed syllable in capitals — because IPA is no use to anyone standing at a pharmacy counter. Spain, Mexico, and most of Central and South America — around 500 million native speakers, second only to Mandarin.
take it with you
The whole card, on one page
All 36 phrases on a single sheet — print it, fold it into a passport, or keep it on your phone. Free, no signup, no watermark.
The essentials
The six words that carry most of a trip.
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Hello | HolaOH-lah |
| Goodbye | Adiósah-DYOHS |
| Please | Por favorpor fah-BOR |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
| Yes / No | Sí / NoSEE / NOH |
| Excuse me / Sorry | Perdónper-DOHN |
Getting by
What to say when the conversation outruns you.
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | ¿Habla inglés?AH-blah een-GLEHS |
| I don't understand | No entiendonoh en-TYEN-doh |
| Could you repeat that? | ¿Puede repetirlo?PWEH-deh reh-peh-TEER-loh |
| Please speak slowly | Hable despacio, por favorAH-bleh des-PAH-syoh |
| My name is… | Me llamo…meh YAH-moh |
| Nice to meet you | Mucho gustoMOO-choh GOOS-toh |
Getting around
Streets, stations and the one question everyone needs.
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Where is…? | ¿Dónde está…?DOHN-deh es-TAH |
| How do I get to…? | ¿Cómo llego a…?KOH-moh YEH-goh ah |
| Where is the toilet? | ¿Dónde está el baño?DOHN-deh es-TAH el BAH-nyoh |
| Left / Right | Izquierda / Derechaees-KYER-dah / deh-REH-chah |
| Straight ahead | Todo rectoTOH-doh REK-toh |
| Is it far? | ¿Está lejos?es-TAH LEH-hohs |
Food and drink
Ordering, allergies, and asking for the bill.
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| A table for two, please | Una mesa para dos, por favorOO-nah MEH-sah PAH-rah dohs |
| The menu, please | La carta, por favorlah KAR-tah |
| I would like… | Quisiera…kee-SYEH-rah |
| Water, please | Agua, por favorAH-gwah |
| I am allergic to… | Soy alérgico a…soy ah-LEHR-hee-koh ahSay alérgica (ah-LEHR-hee-kah) if you are female. |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah |
Shopping and money
Prices, cards, and politely not buying anything.
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| That's too expensive | Es muy caroes mwee KAH-roh |
| Do you take cards? | ¿Aceptan tarjeta?ah-SEP-tahn tar-HEH-tah |
| I am just looking | Solo estoy mirandoSOH-loh es-TOY mee-RAHN-doh |
| Do you have…? | ¿Tiene…?TYEH-neh |
| A receipt, please | El recibo, por favorel reh-SEE-boh |
Emergencies
Worth reading once before you need them.
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Help! | ¡Ayuda!ah-YOO-dah |
| Call the police | Llame a la policíaYAH-meh ah lah poh-lee-SEE-ah |
| Call an ambulance | Llame a una ambulanciaYAH-meh ah OO-nah ahm-boo-LAHN-syah |
| I need a doctor | Necesito un médiconeh-seh-SEE-toh oon MEH-dee-koh |
| I am lost | Estoy perdidoes-TOY per-DEE-dohSay perdida (per-DEE-dah) if you are female. |
| Where is the hospital? | ¿Dónde está el hospital?DOHN-deh es-TAH el os-pee-TAHL |
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Four things that fix
most of the accent
Every letter is pronounced, and always the same way
Spanish spelling is nearly phonetic. Once you know that "j" is a throaty H (José = ho-SEH) and "ll" is a Y (llamo = YAH-moh), you can read almost any word aloud and be understood.
H is silent. Always.
"Hola" is OH-lah, not HOH-lah. "Hospital" is os-pee-TAHL. If you see an H, skip it.
In Spain, C and Z are a "th" sound
Gracias is GRAH-syahs in Latin America and GRAH-thyahs in most of Spain. Both are understood everywhere — do not worry about switching.
Roll the R if you can, skip it if you cannot
A soft, un-rolled R is a foreign accent, not a mistake. Nobody will misunderstand "pero" for "perro" in context.
You will not remember
all 36
Nobody does. OmniTalk speaks Spanish for you in real time — point the camera at a menu, or put the phone between you and let it translate both sides of the conversation as you talk. It works offline once you download the language, so it keeps going when your roaming does not.