English proficiency in Spain is generally pretty low. So we can’t stress enough how important it is to pick up at least some basics of the Spanish language if you plan to live there.
And whether you’re moving to Spain or just visiting, you’ll probably want to explore some under-the-radar spots. What’s better than asking a local for a recommendation? To do that it's helpful to know a couple of common Spanish phrases and sayings. And maybe you’ll make some friends along the way!
In this article we’ll cover:
- basic Spanish words
- Spanish introduction phrases and greetings
- polite phrases in Spanish
- Spanish weather words
- Spanish public transport words
- different places in Spanish
- cool Spanish words and some slang
- popular Spanish sayings
- funny Spanish phrases
- and a few beautiful Spanish words
Basic Spanish words
Let’s start with the most basic words to get you off the ground.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Sí | Yes |
| No | No |
| Claro | Of course |
| Siempre | Always |
| A veces | Sometimes |
| Tal vez | Maybe |
| Nunca | Never |
Spanish greetings
Wherever you go, ‘hola’ is a good starting point! But it’s helpful to learn at least one or two other common Spanish greetings and responses.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Hola | Hello |
| Buenos días | Good morning |
| Buenas tardes | Good afternoon |
| Buenas noches | Good evening |
| ¿Qué tal?/ ¿Cómo estás? | How are you? |
| ¿Qué pasa? | What’s up? |
| ¿Cómo te va? | How’re you doing? |
| Bien | Good |
| Muy bien | Very good |
| Así así | So-so |
| No tan bien | Not so good |
| ¿Y tú? | And you? |
Spanish introduction phrases
Introductions are some of the most important Spanish phrases you should learn. That’s where things get really interesting!
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Me llamo… | My name is… |
| ¿Cómo te llamas? | What’s your name? |
| Mucho gusto | Nice to meet you |
| Placér | A pleasure |
| Encantado/Encantada | Charmed, Likewise |
| ¿De dónde eres? | Where are you from? |
| ¿Dónde vives? | Where do you live? |
| Yo soy de… | I am from… |
| ¿Qué haces? | What do you do? |
| ¿Qué te gusta hacer en tu tiempo libre? | What do you like to do in your free time? |
| Me gusta… | I like … |
Common Spanish phrases to learn
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Diviértete | Have fun |
| Muy bien | Well done |
| Felicitaciones | Congratulations |
| Me caes bien | I like you |
| Te amo / te quiero | I love you |
| Te extraño | I miss you |
| No lo sé | I don´t know |
| No tengo idea | I have no idea |
| ¿Lo entiendes? | Do you understand? |
| No entiendo | I don’t understand |
| Quiero… | I want… |
Basic Spanish questions
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Quién? | Who? |
| ¿Qué? | What? |
| ¿Por qué? | Why? |
| ¿Dónde? | Where? |
| ¿Qué hora es? | What time is it? |
| ¿Puede hablar más despacio, por favor? | Can you speak slowly, please? |
| ¿Como llego hasta ahí? | How do I get there? |
| ¿Sabes hablar inglés? | Do you speak English? |
| Lo siento, mi español no es muy bueno. Estoy aprendiendo. | Sorry, my Spanish is not very good. I’m learning |
Polite phrases in Spanish
Knowing a few words in Spanish is great, but don’t forget to be polite when talking to the locals too.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Por favor | Please |
| Buen viaje | Have a good trip |
| Gracias | Thank you |
| De nada | You’re welcome |
| Lo siento | Sorry |
| No hay de qué | No problem |
| No se preocupe | Don’t worry |
| Disculpe | Excuse me |
| Buena suerte | Good luck |
| Buen provecho | Enjoy your meal |
| Salud | Cheers / Bless you (when someone sneezes) |
“Note that if you’re from the UK, you might feel like the Spanish don’t say gracias and por favor as often as you’re used to.
”
Don’t take it as a lack of manners - it’s just a cultural difference. In Spain, those words are usually reserved for talking to strangers but are not necessary when ordering a coffee or chatting with friends.
Spanish public transport words
Once you’re about to hop on a train in Barcelona, you might realise that the information board is in Spanish. So, the odds are that you’ll need a few of these Spanish public transport words to get around!
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| El bus | Bus |
| El avión | Airplane |
| El metro | Subway |
| El tren | Train |
| El pasaje de ida | One-way ticket |
| El pasaje de ida y vuelta | Round-trip ticket |
| La tarjeta de viaje | Travel card |
| La estación | Station |
| La multa | Fine |
| Plataforma | Platform |
| La salida | Departure |
| La llegada | Arrival |
Places in Spanish
Got lost on your way to the post office? Late for an appointment at the town hall? Even with minimal knowledge of Spanish, you can just utter one of these words to ask for directions!
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| El correo | Mail / post office |
| El banco | Bank |
| El ayuntamiento | City / town hall |
| La embajada | Embassy |
| El municipio | City / town hall |
| La oficina | Office |
| La policía | Police force / station |
| El consulado | Consulate |
Basic Spanish weather words
One of the most common conversation topics is of course weather. Have an awkward silence? Time for the ultimate small talk! With these basic Spanish weather words, you can start breaking the ice easily.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| El tiempo / el clima | Weather |
| La temperatura | Temperature |
| Hace buen tiempo | The weather is nice |
| La primavera | Spring |
| El verano | Summer |
| El otoño | Fall |
| El invierno | Winter |
| El sol / está soleado | Sun / it’s sunny |
| Las nubes / está nublado | Clouds / it’s cloudy |
| La lluvia / Está lloviendo | Rain / it’s raining |
| Caliente / hace calor | Hot / it’s hot |
| Cálido / está cálido | Warm / it’s warm |
| Frío/ hace frío | Cold / it’s cold |
| Viento / está ventoso | Wind / it’s windy |
Cool Spanish words
Want to feel more like a local? Here’re a few cool Spanish words and phrases that you can use when talking to your new Spanish friends!
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Antro | Shabby pub |
| Achuchar | Hug someone until they can’t breathe |
| Agobio | Feeling overwhelmed |
| Botellón | Drinking with friends outdoors |
| Genio | Awesome (literally means ‘genius’) |
| Guapo | Handsome |
| Guiri | Foreigner, tourist |
| Descojonarse de la risa | To laugh hysterically |
| Desvelado | To stay up late |
| Flipar | To be crazy about something, have a wild time, get high |
| Friolento | A person who’s always cold |
| Molar | To be awesome |
| Liar | Be confused, mess up |
| Resacón | A huge hangover |
| Sobremesa | Chilling and talking after a meal |
| Tranquilo | Chill, quiet |
| Tío | Dude (literally means ‘uncle’) |
Saying goodbye in Spanish
Don’t forget to end your conversation in style too!
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Nos vemos mañana | See you tomorrow |
| Hasta luego | See you later |
| Hasta pronto amigo | See you soon, friend |
| ¡Cuídate mucho! | Take care! |
| ¡Tenga un buen día! | Have a nice day! |
| ¡Hasta luego! | See you soon! |
Spanish sayings
What could be a better way to make a local smile than to throw a few Spanish expressions here and there? We bet these common Spanish words and sayings will find good use in your daily vocabulary!
No pasa nada
Literal translation: ‘nothing happens’
This is a common Spanish catchphrase that implies ‘no worries.’ You can use it casually like in English as in ‘Ay, hombre, no pasa nada’ which means ‘Hey man, no worries.’
Dar palo
Literal translation: ‘give stick’
Dar palo is a common Spanish slang expression that doesn’t have a proper English equivalent. You can use it in a situation when you really don’t feel like doing something. It might describe feeling lazy, annoyed or embarrassed.
For example, if someone asks you to hang out but you’re quite comfortable on your couch, you can say: ‘No, me da palo. Prefiero quedarme en casa viendo Netflix.’ That means: ‘Nah I don’t feel like it. I’d rather stay home and watch Netflix.’
Se me fue el santo al cielo
Literal translation: ‘the saint went to heaven on me’
You can say ‘Se me fue el santo al cielo’ when you lose the train of thought or when your mind goes blank.
‘Lo siento, se me fue el santo al cielo. ¿De qué estaba hablando?’ That means ‘Sorry, I lost my train of thought. What was I saying?’
¡Hostia!
Literal translation: ‘host’, as in the body of Christ
This is a Spanish slang word that can be used in different combinations to give a different meaning. Generally, you’d use it as ‘damn’ or ‘sick’ in English. So it can be positive or negative but always with a pinch of surprise.
So for example your friend’s bought a new car and you say ‘¡Hostia, tío! ¡Qué coche tan impresionante!’ which would mean ‘Damn, man! It’s an impressive car!’
You can also use ’hostia’ to say that you’re in a bad mood: ‘Estoy de muy mala hostia’
Vaya
Literal translation: ‘oh’
Vaya is used to express anger or agitation, usually in response to bad news. For example, if someone tells you they lost their job, you can answer ‘Vaya, lo siento mucho’ which means ‘Oh dear, I’m really sorry.’
Another way of using it is together with tela (literally means ‘fabric’). So, when you say ‘Vaya tela!’ that means ‘What a nightmare!’
Ser mono
Literal translation: ‘monkey’
When something is mono it means that it’s cute. For example, ‘Tu gato es tan mono’ means “Your cat is so cute.”
Venga, hombre
Literal translation: ‘Come on, man’
Venga, hombre is another useful Spanish phrase that you’re likely to hear in Spain. Just like in English, you use it to tell someone to hurry up (‘come on man, let’s go’) or to dismiss what someone just said (‘come one man, you don’t mean it’)
Funny Spanish phrases
Ah, isn’t it the beauty of language to have phrases that kind of don’t make sense? They give you the taste of local culture and are useful to understand so as not to get very confused when you hear them. So, just like in any other language, there’re plenty of quirky funny Spanish phrases you should know!
Tengo mal de puerco
Literal translation: ‘I have a bad pig’
If you know a thing or two about Spain, you know they treat food as a sacred ritual. And of course, on holidays like Christmas, it’s not uncommon to eat your way into a food coma. Well, that’s when you say ‘Tengo mal de Puerco’ to acknowledge that you’re so stuffed you can’t move!
Hasta el rabo, todo es toro
Literal translation: ‘until the tail, it’s all bull’
This Spanish proverb is equivalent to the English ‘Don’t count your chickens until they’re hatched.’ That basically means that you shouldn’t assume anything before it actually happens as something can always go wrong.
Estar como una cabra
Literal translation: ‘be like a goat’
Goats are crazy, aren’t they? We all have probably seen the quirky Youtube videos. That’s where this Spanish expression comes from! It pretty much means that someone is a tad crazy or even full-on ‘nuts’.
Estar en pelotas
Literal translation: ‘to be in the balls’
This one is actually quite literal! Estar en pelotas is a pretty funny Spanish phrase that means you’re naked.
No saber ni papa de algo
Literal translation: ‘not knowing a potato about something’
As you might’ve guessed this one means to be clueless about something.
Creerse la última Coca-Cola del desierto
Literal translation: To think of oneself as the last Coca-Cola in the desert.
Just imagine vast scratches of sand, +40°C…A glass of cold Cola would surely be to die for! Well, this idiom has nothing to do with a desert but you get the point. You can say ‘Se cree la última coca cola del desierto’ when someone thinks too highly of themselves.
Meter la pata
Literal translation: ‘to put in the paw’
When you screw-up, you can say ‘¡Metí la pata!’
Eres mi media naranja
Literal translation: ‘you’re my half orange’
If you date someone in Spain, you can tell them Eres mi media naranja, meaning they’re your ‘second half’.
Beautiful Spanish words
Let’s end our class with a few beautiful Spanish words. You can throw them in your conversation to sound fancy!
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Petricor | The smell of rain on a dry soil |
| Efímero | Ephemeral, short-lived |
| Inefable | Something that can’t be described |
| Inmarcesible | Unfading, everlasting |
| Inconmensurable | Immeasurable, boundless |
We hope these common phrases and sayings in Spain will help you navigate the new country and meet some amazing local people. And if you’re serious about learning Spanish, you should check out some language schools in Spain!
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