Spanish for Beginners: Essential Phrases
Learn the most useful Spanish phrases for everyday conversation and travel.
Before you begin
- None
The walkthrough
Step by step.
Step 1 of 5
Greetings and Introductions
Hola - Hello | Buenos días - Good morning | Buenas tardes - Good afternoon | Buenas noches - Good evening/night | Me llamo... - My name is... | ¿Cómo estás? - How are you? | Mucho gusto - Nice to meet you
- Buenos días used until noon
- Use "tú" for informal, "usted" for formal
Step 2 of 5
Polite Expressions
Por favor - Please | Gracias - Thank you | De nada - You're welcome | Perdón/Disculpe - Excuse me/Sorry | Lo siento - I'm sorry | Con permiso - Excuse me (to pass)
- Always use "por favor" when requesting
- Gracias is used frequently in Spanish culture
Step 3 of 5
Basic Questions
¿Dónde está...? - Where is...? | ¿Cuánto cuesta? - How much does it cost? | ¿Habla inglés? - Do you speak English? | No entiendo - I don't understand | ¿Puede repetir? - Can you repeat?
- Raise intonation at end of questions
- Use hand gestures to aid communication
Step 4 of 5
Numbers and Time
Uno (1), Dos (2), Tres (3), Cuatro (4), Cinco (5), Seis (6), Siete (7), Ocho (8), Nueve (9), Diez (10) | ¿Qué hora es? - What time is it? | Son las tres - It's 3 o'clock
- Practice counting daily objects
- Time uses "es la" for 1 o'clock, "son las" for others
Step 5 of 5
Restaurant and Shopping
Quiero... - I want... | Me gustaría... - I would like... | La cuenta, por favor - The bill, please | ¿Dónde está el baño? - Where is the bathroom? | ¿Aceptan tarjetas? - Do you accept cards?
- "Me gustaría" is more polite than "quiero"
- Learn food vocabulary for ordering
Guide complete
