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Basic Spanish phrases for beginners and travellers

contiki travellers in Spain Photo: Contiki

So, you’re travelling to a Spanish speaking country and want to learn some basic Spanish phrases before you go? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Not only is it super practical to learn local phrases before travelling anywhere, Spanish is also one of the most widely spoken languages in the world – so it’ll really come in handy.

Whether you’re heading over to enjoy Spain’s party scenes in Ibiza and Mallorca, or the sandy beaches of Mexico, these are basic Spanish phrases that’ll make your visits even more enjoyable. 

Some notes on Spanish

There are around 437 million native Spanish speakers, and the language is spoken across 22 countries and four continents – wow!

Spanish, like French and Italian, is a romance language – so chances are if you know the other two you may be able to learn Spanish with some ease! In fact, Spanish is often said to be one of the easiest languages to learn, so if you’ve come into this feeling disheartened, stop! You’ll do just fine. 

If you know any Arabic, you may also have an easier time learning Spanish as 8% of the vocabulary has Arabic origins. The most common example of this is ‘¡Ojalá!’ which derives from the phrase ‘law šá lláh’ meaning ‘if Allah wills it’. 

Much like Mandarin, the meaning of a word can change in Spanish depending on the use of accents and which syllable is stressed. For example, ‘mamá’ said with stress on the second syllable means ‘mother’ while ‘mama’ said with stress on the first syllable means ‘breast’ – so, pay attention to your syllables.

Finally, just like many other romance languages, Spanish makes use of masculine and feminine distinction between nouns. So, ‘el sol’ meaning the sun, is masculine, while ‘la luna’ meaning the moon, is feminine. Don’t worry too much about this as native speakers will mostly understand what you mean even if you get the genders wrong.

Contiki travellers swimming in a Cenote

Image source:Contiki

Regional differences

As Spanish is spoken across such a wide breadth of countries and communities, the specific vocabulary and pronunciations can vary. The most noticeable difference is between Spanish spoken in Spain vs. Spanish spoken in Latin America, but the variations continue within Latin America.

So, for example, jacket is ‘chaqueta’ in Spain, but ‘campera’ in Argentina. However, if you are travelling through Argentina and say ‘chaqueta’, most locals will understand what you mean. 

In terms of pronunciations, you’ll notice the most differences between Z, C, or S, B and V, and LL and Y.

Take the sentence ‘la taza es azul’ (the cup is blue) for example:

In certain parts of Latin America, for example Argentina and Uruguay, the LL and Y sound are pronounced like an English ‘SH’ sound.

Take the sentence ‘me llamo Charlie’ (my name is Charlie) for example:

Lastly, the B and V sounds can sound very similar all over Spanish. ‘Vivir’, to live, can be pronounced with a classic V sound as you read it, or it can be pronounced ‘Bibir’ with a soft B sound. Both are accepted across Spanish and really the difference is only slight, so this shouldn’t hinder your comprehension too much.

Conjugation

Conjugation is a variation on verbs based on the speaker or the subject of a sentence. Many languages around the world conjugate their verbs – English is just weird and doesn’t – and while this may sound daunting, it’s not that hard. In fact, conjugating in Spanish makes it easier because you don’t have to worry about including pronouns! 

Let’s conjugate the verb viajar (to travel):

To travel

But, if you were to just say ‘viajo a España’, dropping the pronoun ‘Yo’, it would mean the same!

Mexico, temple

Image source:Contiki

Basic Spanish phrases

So, with all that extra knowledge out of the way, let’s do some learning! These are some of the most useful basic Spanish phrases and words you can learn before travelling to make your travels easier and more enjoyable for all.

Day-to-day

Day-to-day

Get started and strike up some conversations with these easy day-to-day common Spanish phrases and Spanish greetings.

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Greetings

Greetings

Get started and strike up some conversations with these easy day-to-day common Spanish phrases and Spanish greetings.

Travel phrases and directions

Travel phrases and directions

Contiki travellers in Spain

Image source:Contiki

Ordering food

Ordering food

Slang and expressions

If you’re trying to make friends and want to get in with the locals, slang is an easy way to do that! However, as Spanish is spoken in many different countries, and slang is quite regional, these terms may not apply everywhere. This is a list of general Spanish slang, and we’ve included some specific terms from Spain and Mexico as well.

Contiki travellers in Peru

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General Spanish slang

1. Hablar hasta por los codos

Hablar hasta por los codos

Literally translated as ‘speaking from your elbows’, this phrase just means that someone is very chatty.

2. Echar / Dar una mano

Echar / Dar una mano

This simply means to help someone or to give someone a hand! How nice of you.

3. Vale

Vale

Vale is a slang version of ‘de acuerdo’, which means alright or okay. It’s a term you’ll hear often as it’s easily used in any conversation between friends.

Vale is mostly used in Spain, though variations can be found in Latin America like ‘Dale’ or ‘Bueno’, which mean the same thing.

4. Ponerse las pilas

Ponerse las pilas

This means to step it up or bring something to the next level. 

5. No me tires el pelo / Tirarse el pelo

No me tires el pelo / Tirarse el pelo

Literally translated as ‘don’t pull my hair’ or ‘you’re pulling my hair’ it’s a Spanish equivalent for the English expression ‘you’re pulling my leg’, which is to say it means you’re lying or exaggerating.

6. Hermano / Tío

Hermano / Tío

Both these words are used interchangeably with ‘amigo’ which means friend. Hermano is mostly used in Latin America, whereas Tío is used in Spain. 

Slang from Spain

1. Es la leche / La leche

Es la leche / La leche

Literally translated to ‘this is the milk’, the expression just means ‘this is great’, so it’s a compliment! Think of it as the English phrase ‘this is the sh*t’ – that’s basically it.

However, on the flip side ‘la leche’ (which again, just means ‘the milk), is an expression which means the exact opposite, which is to say ‘that’s sh*t’.

2. Chulo

Chulo

Chulo can be used in a few different ways, making it quite versatile. Applied to an object or place, it can mean cool. However, if you apply it to a person it means ‘cocky’ – you would say this by using ‘un chulo’.

3. Qué fuerte

Qué fuerte

Qué fuerte is a popular exclamation which is used to express shock or surprise. You can use it in place of things like ‘that’s crazy’.

Barcelona, Spain

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Slang from Mexico

1. Chévere

Chévere

This is a widely used term across Latin America to mean cool.

2. Chilango

Chilango

A term used to describe someone from Mexico City.

3. Neta

Neta

This is an exclamation which can be used to mean ‘really?’ like: ‘I’m going to Paris, soon’, ‘really?’. It can also mean ‘the truth’ as a response to someone asking ‘really’.

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