Spanish language dictionary with pronunciation and translation. Useful Spanish phrases: travel phrasebook
We have compiled the Spanish phrasebook for tourists so that you can use simple combinations of words to create a simple question and understand a simple answer. With the help of our phrasebook you will not be able to participate in a philosophical discussion or discuss an event.
In our Russian-Spanish phrasebook, intended for tourists, we have collected those words and expressions that we ourselves used. Only what is needed for communication.
Hasta la vista, baby!
I’ll say right away that Galya and I don’t speak Spanish, only spoken English. But before the trip, as always, we learned phrases that help simple communications. By the way, you can study the course "Quick entry to Spanish" and fly to Spain prepared.
Of course, we knew some things. Among such well-known phrases were famous words: “Hasta la vista, baby” Naively, we believed that this was a common farewell. Many Spanish phrasebooks we found on the Internet reported that “Hasta la vista” means “goodbye.”
Naturally, we used our knowledge of Spanish at the first opportunity. Imagine our surprise when the owner of the house in Santander where we booked a nice little room on the second floor, he turned pale and worried. We were going for a walk around the city and said goodbye to it in the way we know - “Hasta la vista”. Instead of “baby,” we, naturally, inserted his name.
Deciding that our pronunciation was not clear enough, we once again said goodbye in unison. This time more clearly and loudly, so that the Spaniard would understand us for sure.
He was stunned and began to ask what we didn’t like so much about his house. I had to resort to the application described above.
We soon learned that we were saying goodbye to the owner forever. He decided that we would not return again...
Conclusion: Spaniards almost never use this phrase. So much for “goodbye”! Just say: “Adios!” And, of course, smile)
Another useful word that we often heard from the Spaniards when they asked how to get to a boring place is “rotonda”.
Rotunda is a place on the road where a circular turn is made. In our country, intersections are more common, while in Spain, roundabouts are more common (this way they get rid of unnecessary traffic lights). Naturally, it is more convenient to indicate the direction in which Galya and I are moving from some point. In 80% it was a rotunda (circle).
It must be said that even if you have a city map in your hands, it is not easy to navigate in Spain, because... they very rarely write street names on houses. The most convenient in this regard is Germany. In Germany, street names are on each post and indicate the direction.
Check . You need to know at least a little about the names of the numbers. It is better to have a notepad and pen on hand. When you buy something, calmly ask them to write down the price in a notebook.
The phrase helps: “speak more slowly, I don’t understand Spanish well.”
Another personal observation. In Russia we often turn to strangers with the words: “Excuse me, ... or Excuse me, please, how to get through...” In Spanish, the word por favor (por favor) - please is recommended to be used before addressing. For example, on the street. “Por favor (please, in our sense of “excuse me please”), and then the question is how to get to Torres Street (for example).
We noticed that almost all Spaniards exclaim “¡Hola!” to attract attention (greet). (Ola). But beggars and beggars pronounce “porfavor” when addressing them. Maybe Galya and I came across such polite beggars, maybe we were just lucky and it was an accident, but we decided to say the word “por favor” in specific situations - in a store or in personal communication, already in the process of communication, and on the street to address people with the greeting “¡Hola!” But this is solely our observation.
Friends, we are now on Telegram: our channel about Europe, our channel about Asia. Welcome)
How to learn Spanish in a week
Recently we found a funny video that shows how you can learn Spanish in a week. The results are amazing!
Russian-Spanish phrasebook for tourists
Necessary words
Spanish greetings
Hello! | hola | ola |
Good morning | buenos días | Buenos Dias |
Good afternoon | buen día | Buen Dia |
Good evening | Buenas tardes | Buenas Tardes |
Good night | buenas nights | Buenas Noches |
Bye (goodbye) | adios | adyos |
See you soon | hasta luego | asta luego |
How are you doing? | como esta usted? | Como esta usted? |
Great (excellent). What about you? | Muy bien. Y usted? | Mui bien. And usted? |
Difficulty understanding
I don't understand | No comprendo | But comprendo |
I'm lost | Me he perdido | Me e perdido |
I understand | Comprendo | Comprendo |
Do you understand? | Comprende usted? | Komprende usted? |
Can I ask you? | ¿Le puedo preguntar? | Le puedo praguntar? |
Could you speak more slowly? | ¿Podria usted hablar más despacio? | Podria usted ablar mas despacio? Mas-despacio, porfavor (short version). |
Please repeat | Repitan por favor | Rapitan por favor |
Can you write this? | ¿Me lo puede escribir? | Mae le puede escrivire? |
In the city
Railway station/train station | La estacion de trenes | La Estacion des Tranes |
Bus station | La estacion de autobuses | La Estacion de Autobuses |
Tourist office or tourist information | La oficina de turismo | La officena de turismo or Tourist information |
City Hall/Town Hall | El ayuntamiento | El ayuntamiento |
Library | La biblioteca | La library |
Park | El parque | El Parque |
Garden | El Jardin | El Hardin |
City wall | La muralla | La Muraya |
Tower | La torre | La Torre |
Street | La calle | La Caye |
Square | La plaza | La Plaza |
Monastery | El monasterio / el convento | El Monasterio / El Combento |
House | La casa | La Casa |
Castle | El palacio | El Palacio |
Lock | El castillo | El castillo |
Museum | El museo | El Museo |
Basilica | La basilica | La Basilica |
Art gallery | El museo del arte | El museo delarte |
Cathedral | La cathedral | La catedral |
Church | La iglesia | La Iglessa |
Tobacconist's | Los tabacos | Los Tabacos |
Travel agency | La agencia de viajes | La-ahensya de-vyahes |
Shoe store | La zapateria | La Zapateria |
Supermarket | El supermercado | El supermercado |
Hypermarket | El hipermercado | El Ipermercado |
Market | El mercado | El Mercado |
Salon | La peluqueria | La Peluceria |
How much are the tickets? | Cuanto valen las entradas? | Quanto valen las entradas? |
Where can I buy tickets? | Donde se puede comprar entradas? | Donde se puede comprar entradas? |
When does the museum open? | Cuando se abre el museo? | Cuando se abre el museo? |
Where is it located? | Donde esta? | Donde esta? |
Taxi
Where can I get a taxi? | Donde puedo tomar un taxi? | Donde puedo tomar un taxi |
What is the rate until...? | Cuanto es la tarifa a...? | Quanto es la tariffa... |
Take me to this address | Lleveme a estas senas | Ljeveme a estas senyas |
Take me to the airport | Lleveme al aeropuerto | Lleveme al aeropuerto |
Take me to the train station | Lleveme a la estacion de ferrocarril | Lleveme a la estacion de ferrocarril |
Take me to the hotel | Lleveme al hotel... | Lievem al otel |
Near/close | Cerca | Serka |
Far | Lejos | Lejos |
Directly | Todo recto | Todo-rrekto |
Left | a la izquierda | A la Izquierda |
Right | a la derecha | A la derecha |
Stop here please | Pare aqui, por favor | Pare aki por favor |
Could you wait for me? | Puede esperarme, por favor | Puede esperarme porfavor |
Hotel
2 (3, 4, 5-) star | De dos (tres, cuatro, cinco) estrellas) | De dos (très, cuatro, cinco) estrayas |
Hotel | El hotel | El Hotel |
I have reserved a room | Tengo una habitacion reservada | Tengo una-habitacion rreservada |
Key | La llave | La-yawe |
Receptionist | El botones | El Botones |
Room with Square/Palace View | Habitacion que da a la plaza / al palacio | Habitacion que da a la plaza / al palacio |
Room facing the courtyard | Habitacion que da al patio | Habitacion que da al-patyo |
Room with bath | Habitacion con bano | Habitacion con bagno |
Single room | Habitacion individual | Habitacion individual |
Double room | Habitacion con dos camas | Habitacion con dos camas |
With double bed | Con cama de matrimonio | Konkama de matrimonyo |
Double room | Habitacion doble | Habitacion doble |
Do you have a free room? | Tienen una habitacion libre? | Tenen unabitacion libre? |
Shopping/requests
Could you give it to me? | Puede darme esto? | Puede darme esto |
Could you show it to me? | Puede usted ensenarme esto? | Puede usted ensenyarme esto |
Could you help me? | Puede usted ayudarme? | Puede usted ayudarme |
I would like... | Quisiera... | Kisiera |
Give it to me please | Demelo, por favor | Demelo por favor |
Show me this | Ensenemelo | Ensenemelo |
How much does it cost? | Cuanto cuesta esto? | Quanto questa esto |
What is the price? | Cuanto es? | Quanto es |
Too expensive | Muy caro | Mui karo |
Sale | Rebajas | Rebajas |
Can I try this on? | Puedo probarmelo? | Puedo probarmelo |
Restaurant/cafe/grocery store
Order/menu
Dish of the day | El plato del dia | El Plateau del Dia |
Set lunch | Menu del dia | Maine del Dia |
Menu | La carta / el menu | La carta / el menu |
Waiter/ka | Camarero/camarera | Camarero / camarera |
I'm a vegetarian | Soy vegetariano | Soy vejetariano. |
I want to reserve a table. | Quiero reservar una mesa | Quiero rreservar una-mesa. |
Do you have a table for two (three, four) people? | Tienen una mesa para dos (tres, cuatro) personas? | Tenen unamesa para-dos (très, cuatro) personas? |
The check, please. | La cuenta, por favor | La Cuenta, Port Favor |
Wine list | La carta de vinos | La carta de vinos |
Drinks | Bebidas | Babydas |
Snacks | Los entremeses | Los Entremeses |
Tapas/snacks (National) | Tapas | Tapas |
Breakfast | El desayuno | El Desayno |
Dinner | La comida/el almuerzo | La comida / el almuerzo |
First course | El primer plateau | El primer plateau |
Soup | Sopa | Sopa |
Dinner | La cena | La Sena |
Dessert | El postre | El Postre |
Drinks
Coffee | Cafe | Cafe |
Tea | Te | Tae |
Water | Agua | Agua |
Wine | Vino | Wine |
Red wine | Vino tinto | Wine tinto |
Rose wine | Vino rosado | Wine rosado |
White wine | Vino blanco | Wine blanco |
Sherry | Jerez | Hares |
Beer | Cerveza | Servesa |
Orange juice | Zumo de naranja | Sumo de naranja |
Milk | Leche | Leche |
Sugar | Azucar | Asúcar |
Dishes
Meat | Carne | Carne |
Veal | Ternera | Turner |
Pork | Cerdo | Cardo |
Medium-roasted | Poco hecho | Poco Echo |
Well done | Muy hecho | Mui-echo |
Vegetable stew | Menestra | Menestra |
Paella | Paella | Paella |
Cake/pie | Tarta | Tarta |
Cake(s) | Pastel / pasteles | Pastel / pasteles |
Ice cream | Helado | Elado |
Products
Bread | Pan | Pan |
Toasts (fried bread) | Tostadas | Tostadas |
Egg | Huevo | Huevo |
Butter | Mantequilla | Mantakiya |
Cheese | Queso | Kaeso |
Sausages | Salchichas | Salchichas |
Smoked ham | Jamon serrano | Jamon serrano |
Apple(s) | Manzana/ manzanas | Manzana/manzanas |
Orange(s) | Naranja/naranjas | Naranja/naranjas |
Lemon | Lemon | Lemon |
Fruit / fruits | Fruta/frutas | Fruta |
Dried fruits | Frutos secos | Frutos sekos |
Meat | Carne | Carne |
Veal | Ternera | Turner |
Sauce | Salsa | Salsa |
Vinegar | Vinagre | Vinagre |
Salt | Sal | Sal |
Sugar | Azucar | Asúcar |
Seafood
Dishes
Useful words
Good | Bueno | Bueno |
Bad | Malo | Few |
Enough/enough | Bastante | Bastante, you can add the word - finita |
Cold | Frio | Frio |
Hot | Caliente | Caliente |
Small | Pequeno | Paqueño |
Big | Grande | Grandet |
What? | Que? | Ke? |
There | Alli | Ayi |
Elevator | Ascensor | Assensor |
Toilet | Servicio | Servisio |
Closed/Closed | Cerrado | Cerrado |
Open/open | Abierto | Avierto |
No smoking | Prohibido fumar | Proivido fumar |
Entrance | Entrada | Entrada |
Exit | Salida | Salida |
Why? | How about? | Porque? |
Check
Just in case, it’s worth having a notepad on hand and writing down the numbers, especially when it comes to payment. Write the amount, show it, clarify.
You can clarify the numbers by saying:
zero | cero | sero |
one | uno | uno |
two | dos | dos |
three | tres | tres |
four | cuatro | quattro |
five | cinco | Cinco |
six | seis | seis |
seven | siete | siete |
eight | ocho | wow |
nine | nueve | nueve |
ten | diez | ten |
So, you can call your hotel room not 405 (four hundred and five), but by numbers: quatro, sero, cinco. They will understand you.
Dates and times
When? | Cuando? | Cuando? |
Tomorrow | Manana | Mañana |
Today | Hoy | Oh |
Yesterday | Ayer | Iyer |
Late | Tardet | Arde |
Early | Temprano | Temprano |
Morning | La manana | La Mañana |
Evening | La tarde | La tarde |
Emergencies
Call the fire department! | Llame a los bomberos! | Yame a los bomberos! |
Call the police! | Llame a la police! | Yame a-lapolisia! |
Call an ambulance! | Llame a una ambulancia! | Yame a-unambulansya! |
Call a doctor! | Llame a un medico! | Yame a-umediko |
Help! | Socorro! | Socorro! |
Stop! (Stop!) | Pare! | Pare! |
Pharmacy | Farmacia | Pharmacia |
Doctor | Medico | Medico |
Example dialogue in Spanish
Of course, during a conversation it’s inconvenient to get into a phrasebook and read. Some words are worth learning. You can prepare questions in a notepad. As a last resort, you can point your finger at a printed phrasebook.
Here is an example of a dialogue compiled from this phrasebook:
— Ola (greeting)
- Me he perdido (I'm lost). Puede usted ayudarme? (could you help me?) Donde esta? (where is) La calle (street) …. Torres?
With the help of this phrasebook you asked a question. Now comes the most important part: understanding the answer.
1. Show a map of the city
2. If you don't have a map, take a notepad and pen
3. Don’t be shy about asking:
— ¿Podria usted hablar más despacio? (could you please speak more slowly). No comprendo! (I don't understand). Repitan por favor (please repeat). ¿Me lo puede escribir? (Can you write it? In our case, draw it).
1. Ask again and clarify:
- Lejos (far?) Todo recto (straight?) A la izquierda (to the left?) A la derecha (to the right?)
2. Watch your hands and facial expressions
3. At the end, don’t forget to say:
— Muchas gracias (thank you very much). Adios (goodbye!)
Before our trip to Spain, Galya and I watched the lessons
« Polyglot. Spanish from scratch in 16 hours "(Culture Channel)
Sincerely,
You have booked your ticket. Your luggage is already packed. You can't wait to start your trip to a country where everyone speaks Spanish.
There is one more simple thing you can do that will come in handy on your trip: learn a few phrases in Spanish! Traveling will definitely be much more exciting and rewarding if you can communicate with native speakers.
In this article we have selected the most popular spanish phrases that will help you “survive” on your trip.
Greetings
Hispanic culture is based on the cult of politeness, you should also always be polite and say “hello” and “how are you?” And don't worry about making mistakes, people around you will do their best to understand you and make sure you understand them. Just try your best and they will be happy to see your efforts.
- Good morning - Buenos Days(buenos dias)
- Good afternoon - Buenas tardes(buenas tardes)
- Good evening - Buenas nights(buenas noches)
- Hola (ola)- this is “hello”. You can say hello this way to people you already know.
- What do you think?(komo esta) - a way to ask “how are you?” in case you are unfamiliar with the person, What do you think?(como estas) - if you know him.
- If you are asked “how are you?”, answer “ok, thank you” - “Bien, gracias”(bien, gracias) because you are also a polite person.
- Never forget keywords: Please - por favor(por favor) - and thank you - gracias(gracias).
- When you introduce yourself to someone, you say “Mucho gusto”(mucho thick), and you will hear the same thing in response. It means "nice to meet you."
- If you suddenly hit an insurmountable language barrier, switch to universal English, just make sure from your interlocutor: ¿Habla ingles?(abla ingles)? – Do you speak English?
Useful basic vocabulary
Even the simplest words and phrases to remember will be of great use to you in everyday communication. You can always use “I want”, “I like”, “Do you have...?”, and if you don’t know how to complete a sentence (for example, you can’t remember the right noun), just point to the item.
- I want, I don't want - Yo quiero, yo no quiero(yo kyero, yo no kyero)
- I would like (more politely) – Me gustaria(me gustaria)
- Where is it located? – What do you think?(donde esta)?
- What is the price? – ¿Cuánto cuesta?(cuanto cuesta)?
- How much time? – ¿Qué hora es?(ke ora es)?
- Do you have it? – ¿Tiene?(tiene)?
- I have it, I don’t have it - Yo tengo, yo no tengo(yo tengo, yo no tengo)
- I understand, I don't understand - Yo entiendo, yo no entiendo(yo entiendo, yo no entiendo)
- Do you understand - ¿Entiende?(entiende)?
Simple verb forms: where is it, I want it, I need it
You can express many thoughts and requests using simple shapes verbs. The important thing is that you can say a variety of things by using “I want,” “I need,” “I can,” “I could,” or “where is,” and then simply adding a noun. It may not be so easy for you, but you will definitely be understood.
- I want a ticket to a hotel, a taxi - Yo quiero un boleto, un hotel, un taxi(yo kyero un boleto, un hotel, un taxi)
How do I get there?
If you're a little lost or unsure of how to get somewhere, you need a few simple phrases to help you find the right path. “Where is it?” in Spanish it sounds like “¿dónde está?” (donde esta?), let's look at this question in action based on a few examples:
- Where is the station? – ¿Dónde está la estación de ferrocarril?(donde esta la estacion de ferrocarril) or “autobuses” (autobuses).
- Where is the restaurant? – How about a restaurant?(donde esta un restaurante)?
- Train? – ¿Un tren?(un tren)?
- Street...? – ¿La calle...?(la saye)?
- Bank? – ¿Un banco?(un banko)? - I am looking for the restroom. – What do you think?– (donde esta el banyo)?
- I want a hotel, I want a hotel with a bathroom - Yo quiero un hotel, yo quiero un hotel con baño(yo kyero un hotel, yo kyero un hotel kon banyo)
- I need - Yo necesito(yo neseshito). A very useful phrase, just add a noun:
Yo necesito un hotel, un cuarto, un cuarto con baño– (yo neseshito un hotel, un cuarto son banyo) - Where is the exchange office located? where is the bank located? – ¿Dónde está una casa de cambio?(donde esta una casa de cambio);
How about it?(donde esta el banco)? - Money – Dinero (dinero).
Driving directions
Once you ask a question about how to get somewhere, you will hear the answer in Spanish. Remember some simple instructions in Spanish that someone might give you, such as telling you to turn right or left or to go straight ahead. Listen to these keywords:
- Right side – a la derecha(a la derecha)
- Left side – a la izquierda(a la izquierda)
- Straight ahead - derecho(derecho)
- On the corner - en la esquina(en la esquina)
- In one, two, three, four blocks - a una cuadra, a dos, tres, cuatro cuadras– (a una cuadra, a dos, tres, cuatro cuadras)
At a restaurant: what do you want to eat or drink?
These are probably the phrases you'll need most when you're in a restaurant. Order something using something you already know "quiero"(quiero) or "quisiera"(kissier) – “I want” or “I would like.” And don't forget to talk “por favor” And "gracias"!
- Table - Una mesa(una masa)
- Table for two, three, four - Una mesa para dos tres, cuatro(una mesa para dos, tres, cuatro)
- Menu – Un menú(un menu)
- Soup - Sopa(sop)
- Salad - Ensalada(ensalada)
- Hamburger (also necessary!) – Hamburguesa(amburgesa)
- With ketchup, mustard, tomato, lettuce - Con salsa de tomate, mostaza, tomate, lechuga– (con salsa de tomate, mostaza, tomate, lechuga)
- Snack – Una entrada(una entrada)
- Dessert - Un postre(un postre)
- Drink - Una bebida(una babyda)
- Water – Agua(agua)
- Red wine, white wine – Vino tinto(Bino Tinto), vino blanco(bino blanco)
- Beer - Cerveza(serveza)
- Coffee - Un café(un cafe)
- Call a waiter or waitress - ¡Señor! or ¡Señorita!(senior or señorita)
- Check - La cuenta(la cuenta)
Miscellaneous information
- Credit cards. Many places in small towns still don't accept credit cards, so be sure to have plenty of cash with you. You may ask if they accept credit card, – una tarjeta de credito(una tarheta de credito). If you have questions, you can always use nouns as a question. For example, you can take out a credit card and ask ¿Tarjeta de credito? They will understand.
- Universal word: No funciona(but functional) – no, it doesn’t work. You can use this in many other circumstances. Just point to a shower or something and say: “¡No funciona!”
- Practice saying everything out loud, so, firstly, you will remember some phrases without having to “peep” them, and secondly, you will learn to pronounce them quickly and, at the same time, smoothly. Simple listening talking man will also help you understand people.
- Take a small pocket dictionary with you. Of course, you don't want to look for the right verb conjugation in the middle of a conversation, but you will always find the right noun quickly. Download this dictionary before your trip, it will definitely come in handy more than once.
1 – uno (uno)
2 – dos (dos)
3 – tres (tres)
4 – cuatro (cuatro)
5 – cinco (cinco)
6 – seis (seis)
7 – siete (siete)
8 – ocho (ocho)
9 – nueve (nueve)
10 – diez (dies)
P.S. More useful phrases you will learn in the online course.
Spanish is one of the most popular languages in the world, it is spoken in Spain and in other countries Latin America, although they speak dialects and variations of classic Spanish. Classical Spanish is the basis and is perfectly understood in Peru, Chile, Portugal, Mexico, Cuba and other countries South America. In general, this amounts to more than half a billion people in the world. So learning 100 phrases in Spanish will be useful.
The language of Lorca and Cervantes
The Spanish language sounds beautiful, is melodic and easy to learn. The spelling and pronunciation are almost identical; learning it yourself at the tourist level is quite simple. In everyday speech, Spaniards use approximately 700-1000 words, of which approximately 150-200 are verbs. And for tourism purposes, in order not to get lost in the cities of Spain or to understand airport employees, about 100 phrases consisting of 300-350 words are enough.
They are conventionally divided into several groups: words of gratitude and phrases for polite communication, in a restaurant, at the airport and on the road. You will also need numbers, pronouns and the most popular verbs, directions and names of places, days of the week and time. You also need to learn the words needed in complex and dangerous situations, ask for help or help passers-by.
Sounds and pronunciations in Spanish
To speak Spanish, start learning with the basics - phonetics and the alphabet. Language has its own peculiarities and complexities. The Spanish alphabet is almost identical to the English one, with the exception of 1 detail - the letter “Ñ” has been added, it is read “n”. Otherwise they are the same. Let's look at the details of the phonetic features of Spanish letters:
- at the beginning of a word the letter “H” is not pronounced, in the word “Hola!” (hello), it is pronounced “Ola” with the first vowel removed;
- in classical Spanish, the letter "C" is often pronounced with a whistle, somewhat similar to English combination"th"
- the letter “E” is read “E”, at this moment foreigners can be heard strongly;
- the letter "L" in Spanish is soft;
- Basically, words are read as they are written, there are exceptions, but they are few;
- stress is placed according to the rules, unlike the Russian language - at the end of the word there is a consonant letter (except for N and S), then the stress is on the last syllable, vowel or letters N and S, then on the penultimate one;
- the letter “C” is read “K” in combination with the vowels a, o, u; and “C” - with the letters e, i;
- the letter "G" is read "Г" in combination with a, o, u; and with the letters e, i – pronounced “X”;
- special combinations “GUE”, “GUI” are read as “Ge” and “Gi”, and “QUE” and “QUI” are read as “Ke” and “Ki”;
- the letter “V” is pronounced like the middle between “v” and “b”;
- the letters “S” and “Z” are read like the Russian “S”, and in Spain they are pronounced similar to “ts”.
These features are easy to remember, otherwise the languages are similar and it is not difficult for Russians to learn Spanish and speak it in a way that is understandable for the natives of Spain.
The difficulty lies in the first 2-3 months of training, when pronunciation is difficult; at this time it is better to study with a teacher. You can independently instill the incorrect sound of some words and letter combinations; it is then difficult to relearn.
How to learn a foreign language?
Regardless of the country and language, its study must contain certain points and stages, then memorization and understanding will be achieved to the required extent. You can’t learn sentences without learning how individual words are pronounced, and you can’t start talking without gaining basic knowledge in constructing phrases. It is best to do everything gradually, including all stages:
- setting up pronunciation, studying basic words and sounds - here you can create a dictionary where new phrases and expressions are recorded with transcription and translation;
- solving and performing exercises on phonetics and spelling;
- writing words and expressions to consolidate knowledge with rote memory;
- listening to music and watching movies in Spanish with subtitles;
- reading books by Spanish authors and translating them - start with simple children's stories familiar to you from childhood, then move on to more complex ones;
- communication with native speakers in chat, social networks, language centers, trips to a Spanish-speaking country.
Skipping any of the stages will negatively affect the speed and completeness of language learning; it’s better if everything is combined. Communicating in Spanish will allow you to collect all the knowledge you have acquired and try to reproduce phrases so that you are understood. This is an opportunity to hear and try to understand real Spanish speech, because it is very different from the book.
Words of greeting and phrases of gratitude
First of all, write down the words of greeting and farewell in your dictionary; they are the basis for any language and for communication in any country. Spain is no exception; here everyone greets politely in shops, cafes, and when meeting acquaintances and friends. As in Russian, Spanish has several variants of phrases for varying degrees"kinship" with the interlocutor.
When meeting a friend and a well-known peer, you can say ¡Hola! (Ola!) - Hello! But to a stranger or an adult interlocutor is told ¡Buenos días! (Buenos Dias!), ¡Buenas tardes! (Buenos tardes!) or ¡Buenas noches! (Buenos noches!), which translates accordingly to “Good morning/day/night!”
Usually after the greeting I add a polite question “How are you?” or its variations, to which they do not talk about their problems, they simply say “Okay! How are you?” It sounds like this:
What do you mean? ke tal How are you?
What do you think? komo estás How are you doing?
These two phrases can be used to communicate with an acquaintance or friend, but to a stranger or group of people you should say:
What do you think? komo está How are you doing? (if there is only one person), or
What's the point? komo estan How are you doing? (if you are addressing a group of people).
The answer options again depend on the interlocutor:
Bien, ¿y tú? [bean, and tu] Okay, what about you? - this is what you can say to a friend, but in other options you need the following wording:
Bien, gracias ¿y Usted? [bean, gracias and ustet] Okay, thanks! What about you?
In addition to standard greetings, you can use or hear the following phrases: ¿Qué tal la vida/ el trabajo/ la familia/ los estudios? (que tal la vida/el trabajo/la familia/los estudios), which means - How is your life/work/family/studies?
In response to these phrases, you can respond with the standard “Bien!”, or you can diversify your communication:
- ¡Excelente! (exelente) Great!
- ¡Muy bien! (muy bien) Very good!
- Más o menos. (mas o menos) More or less.
- Regular. (regular) Normal.
- Mal. (male) Bad.
- Muy mal. (muy mal) Very bad.
- Fatal. (fatal) Terrible.
But after these phrases, polite Spaniards will begin to ask questions and demand details; if you are not ready for this, then limit yourself to the standard wording.
Say goodbye or wish Have a good day in a famous phrase
- “¡Chao! (whao) Bye!” or “¡Adiós! (adós) Bye! Goodbye!" if the interlocutors are older than you or unfamiliar, then it is better to choose one of these:
- ¡Hasta luego! asta luego Goodbye!
- ¡Hasta pronto! asta pronto See you soon!
- ¡Hasta mañana! asta mañana See you tomorrow!
- Nos vemos. nose vemos See you later! See you.
If suddenly you are faced with a complete misunderstanding of your interlocutor, then you can tell him about it in the following words:
- No entiendo But entiendo I don’t understand.
- Mas despacio, por favor. Mas-despacio, por-favor Could you speak more slowly?
- No comprendo. But comprendo I don't understand.
These words are enough to look like a polite person when communicating with residents in Spanish cities. If you have difficulty understanding, you can switch to English, if it is easier for you to select phrases in this language, besides, you can meet Russian-speaking people, there are a lot of them in all countries of Europe and Latin America.
The right words if you don't know the way
The Spaniards are quite responsive and will gladly give directions to a tourist, but you must know how to ask and what they can tell you. In order not to memorize complex phrases and phrases, 3 options are enough and you will be understood:
Where is…
I need…
For example, you need to ask directions to a bank or hotel, you can ask the question this way:
- ¿Dónde está la calle/un banco/un hotel? (Donde esta la saye/un banko/un hotel?) – Where is the street/bank/hotel?
- Yo necesito la estación de ferrocarril. (yo nesesito la estacion de ferrocarril) - I need a station.
Other options that can be used to find the road:
¿Cómo llego a...? - How do I get to…?
¿Qué tan lejos es…? - How far is...?
In response, they may offer you a map or show you the direction, or they may explain in detail how to get there and where to turn; for this, the following expressions are used:
- Right side, to the right (a la derecha) a la derecha;
- Left side, to the left (a la izquierda) a la izquierda;
- Straight ahead (derecho) derecho;
- On the corner (en la esquina) en la esquina;
- Far (Lejos) Lejos;
- Near/near (Serca) Cerca;
- In one/two/three/four blocks (a una cuadra/a dos,/tres/cuatro cuadras) a una cuadra/a dos/tres/cuatro cuadras.
Even if you do not understand the Spanish answer well, you can ask to repeat it again or say that you do not understand. As a rule, they will be happy to draw a map, guide you to a place, or explain in more detail and more clearly.
In Spain they treat tourists well and are happy when you manage to pronounce words correctly. They will help you on the street and in the store, and the police officers will also escort you to the right place.
Phrases for emergency situations
Unforeseen situations can happen to anyone, no one is immune from this. You or your friends, as well as a person on the street, may need help. You wouldn’t walk past people in trouble simply because you don’t know how to call a doctor in Spanish, would you? When traveling with children, a quick response to a situation is often required, and searching for the correct phrase in a phrasebook or online translator will make it very difficult to solve the problem. What basic phrases might you need to find help:
- ¡Ayúdame! (Ayudame!) Help me!
- Help! (Socorro!) Socorro!
- Stop! (Stop!) (Pare!) Pare!
- Necesito un doctor/ dentista/ official de police. - I need a doctor/dentist/policeman.
- ¿Hay una farmacía cerca? - Is there a pharmacy nearby?
- ¿Puedo utilizar su telefono? - Can I use your phone?
- ¡Llame a la policía/ ambulancia/ los bomberos! (Yame a-lapolicia/a-unambulansya/a-los-bomberos!) - Call the police/ambulance/fire department!
- Fire! (fuego) Fuego!
- I'm lost. (meh perdido) Me he perdido.
These phrases will be enough to ask passers-by for help in an emergency. If you know them by heart, it may save someone’s life or health and make your trip much calmer and safer.
As a conclusion!
Spanish is a beautiful, sonorous and musical language; learning it is pleasant and easy. Phrases for tourists are just the beginning, the tip of the iceberg, and a real understanding of this music will come after a year or two of mastering it. When you can understand your interlocutor, and not guess by gestures what they told you, when you can watch Spanish films without subtitles and translation, then you can confidently go to a foreign country and enjoy its culture and inner world.
Where you can learn Spanish:
- Language schools, courses and individual lessons with a teacher is the most popular and most productive way.
- Online programs and smartphone applications for self-study– long and requires self-discipline.
- Video and audio lessons, exercises and assignments online and in books will require adjustments from a specialist or help at an entry-level level.
- Visiting a country or communicating with native speakers is quick, but will only give colloquial speech, they won’t teach you to read and write there.
If studying Spanish is your dream, then supplement your studies by reading the history of the country, books by national authors, and searching for information about its culture and characteristics. Then the picture will be more complete. If you need a language to do work, then deepen your study with technical knowledge and specialized words. To do this, you will need special literature, magazines, newspapers, websites and blogs on the desired topics, and you should start studying them only after completing the basic part.
Classes can take from six months to infinity, depending on the intensity and density of classes, the degree of immersion in learning, repeating acquired knowledge and adding new words and phrases.