Common Spanish Phrases
Updated November 1, 2026
Start with hola (hello), por favor (please), gracias (thank you), perdón (excuse me) and no entiendo (I do not understand); the 100 phrases below cover everyday life and travel. WanderMundo is an AI language learning app where you can use these Spanish words in a conversation with an AI tutor. This guide gives the meanings, simple sound guides, useful patterns and short practice tasks so you can move from recognizing a word to saying it in context.
Which ten Spanish phrases should you learn first?
Start with Hola, Por favor, Gracias, Perdón, No entiendo, ¿Puede repetir, por favor?, Más despacio, por favor, ¿Me puede ayudar?, ¿Dónde está el baño? and La cuenta, por favor. These open an interaction, keep it polite and help you repair a misunderstanding. You can use them before you know enough grammar to build every sentence from scratch.
Exactly 100 phrases follow, grouped by situation. Formal, informal, regional and speaker-gender labels matter. Capital letters in the approximate pronunciation guides mark stress; c before e or i and z use the common Latin American s sound. Spanish vowels stay short and steady.
Basics and manners
Polite words are useful across nearly every situation.
Try introduce yourself politely .
| Spanish | English | Simple pronunciation | Pronunciation audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hola. | Hello. | OH-lah | |
| 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 | |
| Por favor. | Please. | por fah-VOR | |
| Gracias. | Thank you. | GRAH-syahs | |
| Muchas gracias. | Thank you very much. | MOO-chahs GRAH-syahs | |
| De nada. | You are welcome. | deh NAH-dah | |
| Perdón. | Sorry / excuse me. | pehr-DON | |
| Disculpe. | Excuse me. (formal) | dees-KOOL-peh | |
| Lo siento. | I am sorry. | loh SYEN-toh | |
| Sí. | Yes. | see | |
| No. | No. | noh | |
| Está bien. | That is okay. | es-TAH byen | |
| Hasta luego. | See you later. | AHS-tah LWEH-goh |
Getting help
Repair phrases keep a conversation alive when your vocabulary runs out.
Try ask for clarification .
| Spanish | English | Simple pronunciation | Pronunciation audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| No entiendo. | I do not understand. | noh en-TYEN-doh | |
| ¿Puede repetir, por favor? | Could you repeat, please? (formal) | PWEH-deh reh-peh-TEER por fah-VOR | |
| Más despacio, por favor. | More slowly, please. | mahs des-PAH-syoh por fah-VOR | |
| ¿Qué significa esto? | What does this mean? | keh seeg-nee-FEE-kah ES-toh | |
| ¿Cómo se dice en español? | How do you say it in Spanish? | KOH-moh seh DEE-seh en es-pah-NYOL | |
| ¿Habla inglés? | Do you speak English? (formal) | AH-blah een-GLES | |
| Hablo un poco de español. | I speak a little Spanish. | AH-bloh oon POH-koh deh es-pah-NYOL | |
| Estoy aprendiendo español. | I am learning Spanish. | es-TOY ah-pren-DYEN-doh es-pah-NYOL | |
| ¿Me puede ayudar? | Can you help me? (formal) | meh PWEH-deh ah-yoo-DAR | |
| ¿Puede escribirlo? | Can you write it down? (formal) | PWEH-deh es-kree-BEER-loh |
Travel and directions
Attach a place to ¿dónde está…? and listen for derecha, izquierda or recto.
Try ask where a place is .
| Spanish | English | Simple pronunciation | Pronunciation audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¿Dónde está el baño? | Where is the bathroom? | DON-deh es-TAH el BAH-nyoh | |
| ¿Dónde está la estación? | Where is the station? | DON-deh es-TAH lah es-tah-SYON | |
| ¿Cómo llego al centro? | How do I get downtown? | KOH-moh YEH-goh al SEN-troh | |
| ¿Está lejos? | Is it far? | es-TAH LEH-hohs | |
| ¿Cuánto se tarda? | How long does it take? | KWAN-toh seh TAR-dah | |
| A la derecha. | To the right. | ah lah deh-REH-chah | |
| A la izquierda. | To the left. | ah lah ees-KYEHR-dah | |
| Todo recto. | Straight ahead. | TOH-doh REK-toh | |
| Necesito un taxi. | I need a taxi. | neh-seh-SEE-toh oon TAK-see | |
| ¿A qué hora sale? | What time does it leave? | ah keh OH-rah SAH-leh | |
| Un billete, por favor. | One ticket, please. (common in Spain) | oon bee-YEH-teh por fah-VOR | |
| Un boleto, por favor. | One ticket, please. (common in Latin America) | oon boh-LEH-toh por fah-VOR | |
| Tengo una reserva. | I have a reservation. | TEN-goh OO-nah reh-SEHR-vah | |
| ¿A qué hora es la entrada? | What time is check-in? | ah keh OH-rah es lah en-TRAH-dah | |
| ¿Hay wifi? | Is there Wi-Fi? | eye wee-fee |
At a restaurant
Quisiera is a polite I would like.
Try order a drink and ask for the bill .
| Spanish | English | Simple pronunciation | Pronunciation audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Una mesa para dos, por favor. | A table for two, please. | OO-nah MEH-sah PAH-rah dohs por fah-VOR | |
| ¿Me trae el menú? | Could you bring me the menu? | meh TRAH-eh el meh-NOO | |
| ¿Qué recomienda? | What do you recommend? (formal) | keh reh-koh-MYEN-dah | |
| Quisiera agua, por favor. | I would like water, please. | kee-SYEH-rah AH-gwah por fah-VOR | |
| Sin hielo, por favor. | Without ice, please. | seen YEH-loh por fah-VOR | |
| Un café, por favor. | A coffee, please. | oon kah-FEH por fah-VOR | |
| Soy vegetariano. | I am vegetarian. (male speaker) | soy veh-heh-tah-RYAH-noh | |
| Soy vegetariana. | I am vegetarian. (female speaker) | soy veh-heh-tah-RYAH-nah | |
| ¿Lleva leche? | Does it contain milk? | YEH-vah LEH-cheh | |
| Tengo alergia a los frutos secos. | I am allergic to nuts. | TEN-goh ah-LEHR-hyah ah lohs FROO-tohs SEH-kohs | |
| Sin picante, por favor. | Not spicy, please. | seen pee-KAN-teh por fah-VOR | |
| Está muy rico. | It is very tasty. | es-TAH mwee REE-koh | |
| La cuenta, por favor. | The bill, please. | lah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR | |
| ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? | Can I pay by card? | PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah | |
| Para llevar, por favor. | To take away, please. | PAH-rah yeh-VAR por fah-VOR |
Shopping
Shopping has no fixed built-in scenario, so the matching link opens a custom mission prompt rather than claiming one exists.
Try returning or choosing an item .
| Spanish | English | Simple pronunciation | Pronunciation audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | How much does it cost? | KWAN-toh KWES-tah | |
| Solo estoy mirando. | I am just looking. | SOH-loh es-TOY mee-RAN-doh | |
| ¿Tiene otra talla? | Do you have another size? (formal) | TYEH-neh OH-trah TAH-yah | |
| ¿Lo tiene en azul? | Do you have it in blue? (formal) | loh TYEH-neh en ah-SOOL | |
| ¿Puedo probármelo? | Can I try it on? | PWEH-doh proh-BAR-meh-loh | |
| Me queda bien. | It fits me well. | meh KEH-dah byen | |
| Es demasiado grande. | It is too big. | es deh-mah-SYAH-doh GRAN-deh | |
| Es demasiado pequeño. | It is too small. | es deh-mah-SYAH-doh peh-KEH-nyoh | |
| Me lo llevo. | I will take it. | meh loh YEH-voh | |
| ¿Me da un recibo? | Could you give me a receipt? | meh dah oon reh-SEE-boh |
Small talk
Tú forms are common for a friendly informal exchange; adjust to usted when the relationship or local context calls for it.
Try ask about the other person .
| Spanish | English | Simple pronunciation | Pronunciation audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Me llamo Ana. | My name is Ana. | meh YAH-moh AH-nah | |
| ¿Cómo te llamas? | What is your name? (informal) | KOH-moh teh YAH-mahs | |
| Mucho gusto. | Nice to meet you. | MOO-choh GOOS-toh | |
| ¿De dónde eres? | Where are you from? (informal) | deh DON-deh EH-rehs | |
| Soy de Estados Unidos. | I am from the United States. | soy deh es-TAH-dohs oo-NEE-dohs | |
| ¿Dónde vives? | Where do you live? (informal) | DON-deh VEE-vehs | |
| ¿A qué te dedicas? | What do you do for work? (informal) | ah keh teh deh-DEE-kahs | |
| Me gusta viajar. | I like traveling. | meh GOOS-tah vyah-HAR | |
| ¿Qué te gusta hacer? | What do you like doing? | keh teh GOOS-tah ah-SEHR | |
| ¿Cómo estás? | How are you? (informal) | KOH-moh es-TAHS | |
| Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? | Fine, thanks. And you? | byen GRAH-syahs ee too | |
| ¿Qué planes tienes? | What plans do you have? | keh PLAH-nehs TYEH-nehs | |
| Hace buen tiempo. | The weather is nice. | AH-seh bwen TYEHM-poh | |
| Nos vemos mañana. | See you tomorrow. | nohs VEH-mohs mah-NYAH-nah | |
| Que tengas un buen día. | Have a good day. (informal) | keh TEN-gahs oon bwen DEE-ah |
Telling what you did in the past
These examples use finished-event forms such as fui, comí and compré.
Try tell what you did yesterday .
| Spanish | English | Simple pronunciation | Pronunciation audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayer fui al parque. | Yesterday I went to the park. | ah-YEHR fwee al PAR-keh | |
| El lunes fui al gimnasio. | On Monday I went to the gym. | el LOO-nes fwee al heem-NAH-syoh | |
| Comí con mi familia. | I ate with my family. | koh-MEE kon mee fah-MEE-lyah | |
| Visité a un amigo. | I visited a friend. | vee-see-TEH ah oon ah-MEE-goh | |
| Compré un libro. | I bought a book. | kom-PREH oon LEE-broh | |
| Vi una película. | I watched a movie. | vee OO-nah peh-LEE-koo-lah | |
| Trabajé todo el día. | I worked all day. | trah-bah-HEH TOH-doh el DEE-ah | |
| Llegué tarde. | I arrived late. | yeh-GEH TAR-deh | |
| Lo pasé muy bien. | I had a great time. | loh pah-SEH mwee byen | |
| ¿Qué hiciste ayer? | What did you do yesterday? | keh ee-SEES-teh ah-YEHR |
Emergencies and urgent help
In a real emergency, contact local emergency services and qualified professionals rather than an AI tutor.
Try explain a symptom and when it began .
| Spanish | English | Simple pronunciation | Pronunciation audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¡Ayuda! | Help! | ah-YOO-dah | |
| Necesito un médico. | I need a doctor. | neh-seh-SEE-toh oon MEH-dee-koh | |
| Llame a una ambulancia, por favor. | Call an ambulance, please. (formal) | YAH-meh ah OO-nah am-boo-LAN-syah por fah-VOR | |
| Me duele aquí. | It hurts here. | meh DWEH-leh ah-KEE | |
| He perdido mi pasaporte. | I have lost my passport. | eh pehr-DEE-doh mee pah-sah-POR-teh | |
| ¿Dónde está la farmacia? | Where is the pharmacy? | DON-deh es-TAH lah far-MAH-syah | |
| Necesito un intérprete. | I need an interpreter. | neh-seh-SEE-toh oon een-TEHR-preh-teh | |
| Estoy perdido. | I am lost. (male speaker) | es-TOY pehr-DEE-doh | |
| Estoy perdida. | I am lost. (female speaker) | es-TOY pehr-DEE-dah | |
| No me siento bien. | I do not feel well. | noh meh SYEN-toh byen |
How do you learn phrases without memorizing a hundred at once?
Choose three phrases for one situation and use them in a short exchange. On the following day, try retrieving them before reading the table.
Combine Spanish greetings, numbers and colors with these chunks. The Spanish course supplies the grammar sequence, while Spanish for beginners helps you choose a manageable start. WanderMundo can show a correction, explain it and save a useful word for Review. The mini lesson gives you a short first conversation without signing up.
Mini quiz: which phrase fits the situation?
Choose an answer, reveal the explanation and say the useful phrase once. Then imagine a different object or location. This is a phrase-practice quiz, not a placement result.
Who it's for
- English-speaking beginners who want a clear reference and useful spoken examples.
- Learners returning to Spanish who want to check a spelling or everyday pattern.
Who it's not for
- People needing an official language certificate or a substitute for qualified professional advice.
- Learners looking for an exhaustive linguistic dictionary rather than beginner practice.
Frequently asked questions
Are these phrases appropriate everywhere Spanish is spoken?
The basic expressions are widely understood, but vocabulary, formality and local habits vary. Billete and boleto are labeled regional ticket options, and tú or usted should fit the relationship.
How many phrases should I study in one session?
Start with three useful expressions from one group. Retrieve them later without the table and use them in a short exchange before adding more.
Why are some phrases marked male or female speaker?
Expressions such as soy vegetariano or estoy perdida include an adjective describing the speaker. Choose the form that fits you; other expressions such as mucho gusto avoid that gender choice.
Can I use this phrase list as medical advice?
No. Emergency and symptom phrases are language references only. Seek qualified medical care and a qualified interpreter when needed; an AI tutor is not an emergency service.
What is the polite way to ask for repetition?
¿Puede repetir, por favor? is a polite usted form. With tú, use ¿Puedes repetir, por favor? Add más despacio if you need slower speech.
Do the mission links start speaking immediately?
No. They open the Talk page with a matching mission selected or a custom topic ready. Signing in is required, and you choose Start before any conversation begins.
Related guides
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