200 Common Spanish Phrases

All 200 phrases from the Learn Spanish Fast deck. Free to read and grouped the way the deck teaches them. Three play native audio here; the deck plays every one.

Learn Spanish Fast - Master Essential Words and Phrases for Quick Fluency

Learn Spanish Fast - Master Essential Words and Phrases for Quick Fluency

Master Spanish fast with 200 essential flashcards covering pronunciation, survival words, phrases, food vocabulary, and sentence patterns with phonetic pronunciation guides.

200 cards with native audio. Read them all free on the deck page.

See every card in this deck

On iPhone, type your own Spanish phrase and hear it whole, then word by word.

Pro

Study this deck with Pro

Every card with native-speaker audio and a built-in spaced-repetition study system, plus every other deck on the site.

$39.99 per year

That is $3.33 a month, billed yearly.

Secure checkout by Stripe. Yearly plan starts with a free trial; cancel anytime.

  • Every language and subject, all decks
  • Native audio on every card
  • Spaced-repetition study with progress tracking
  • iPhone app Premium included: unlimited own-phrase cards and custom subjects
  • Cancel anytime from your account
Compare Free and Pro

Hear every phrase, not just three

The list below stays free. Pro adds native-speaker audio on all 200 phrases, an example sentence per card, and a review schedule that brings each one back before you forget it.

Read every card in Learn Spanish Fast - Master Essential Words and Phrases for Quick Fluency

Secure checkout by Stripe. Yearly plan starts with a free trial; cancel anytime.

Essential Phrases

Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Listen
hola OH-lah (silent h) hello / hi - Universal greeting, used any time of day. Remember: 'h' is silent in Spanish.
buenos dias BWEH-nos DEE-ahs good morning - Used until around noon/lunchtime.
buenas tardes BWEH-nahs TAHR-dehs good afternoon / good evening - Used from around noon/lunch until dark.
buenas noches BWEH-nahs NO-chehs good evening / good night - Used after dark, both as greeting and farewell.
adios ah-dee-OS goodbye - General farewell. Can sound quite final; for casual use, 'hasta luego' is more common.
hasta luego AHS-tah LWEH-go see you later - Casual and friendly farewell. Very commonly used in everyday conversation.
hasta manana AHS-tah mah-NYAH-nah see you tomorrow - Used when you know you'll see the person the next day.
por favor por fah-BOR please - Essential politeness word. Use at the end or beginning of any request.
gracias GRAH-thee-ahs (Spain) / GRAH-see-ahs (Latin America) thank you / thanks - Essential word. Add 'muchas' before it for 'thank you very much'.
de nada deh NAH-dah you're welcome - Literally 'of nothing'. Standard response to 'gracias'.
lo siento lo see-EN-to I'm sorry - Used for apologies, expressing sympathy. Literally means 'I feel it'.
perdon pehr-DON excuse me / pardon - Used to get attention, squeeze past someone, or for minor apologies.
disculpe dees-KOOL-peh excuse me (formal) - More formal than 'perdon'. Used with strangers and in polite situations.
como esta usted? KO-mo ehs-TAH oos-TEHD how are you? (formal) - Use with strangers, elders, in professional contexts.
como estas? KO-mo ehs-TAHS how are you? (informal) - Use with friends, family, peers, and children.
que tal? keh tahl how's it going? / what's up? - Very casual greeting. Can also be used as 'how was it?'
muy bien, gracias mwee bee-EN, GRAH-thee-ahs very well, thank you - Standard positive response to 'how are you?'
me llamo... meh LYAH-mo (Spain) / meh YAH-mo (Latin America) my name is... - Literally 'I call myself'. Used to introduce yourself.
como te llamas? KO-mo teh LYAH-mahs what is your name? (informal) - Literally 'How do you call yourself?'
mucho gusto MOO-cho GOO-sto nice to meet you - Literally 'much pleasure'. Used when meeting someone for the first time.
no entiendo no en-tee-EN-do I don't understand - Essential phrase for language learners.
habla ingles? AH-blah een-GLEHS do you speak English? - Add 'usted' for formal: 'Habla usted ingles?'
mas despacio, por favor mahs dehs-PAH-thee-o, por fah-BOR slower, please - Ask someone to speak more slowly.
puede repetir, por favor? PWEH-deh reh-peh-TEER, por fah-BOR can you repeat, please? - Polite way to ask someone to say something again.
como se dice...? KO-mo seh DEE-theh (Spain) / KO-mo seh DEE-seh (Lat Am) how do you say...? - Used to ask for vocabulary. Follow with the word in your language.
que significa...? keh seeg-NEE-fee-kah what does ... mean? - Used to ask the meaning of a word you heard or read.
cuanto cuesta? KWAHN-to KWES-tah how much does it cost? - Essential shopping phrase. Use 'cuestan' for plural items.
es muy caro ehs mwee KAH-ro it's very expensive - Useful for negotiating or commenting on prices.
tiene algo mas barato? tee-EH-neh AHL-go mahs bah-RAH-to do you have something cheaper? - Useful phrase for shopping and markets.
donde esta el bano? DON-deh ehs-TAH el BAH-nyo where is the bathroom? - One of the most essential travel phrases.
me gustaria... meh goo-stah-REE-ah I would like... - Polite way to order or request. More formal than 'quiero' (I want).
no se preocupe no seh preh-oh-KOO-peh don't worry - Used to reassure someone. Informal form: 'no te preocupes'.
vale BAH-leh okay / alright - Very common in Spain. Equivalent to 'OK'. Not used as much in Latin America.
con permiso kon pehr-MEE-so excuse me (to pass by) - Used when you need to squeeze past someone or leave a group. More specific than 'perdon'.
claro que si KLAH-ro keh see of course / sure - Strong affirmative. More emphatic than just 'si'. Very common in conversation.

Core Survival Words

Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Listen
yo yo I - First person singular pronoun. Often omitted in Spanish since the verb conjugation indicates the subject.
tu too you (informal singular) - Used with friends, family, peers, and younger people. Use 'usted' for formal situations.
el el he - Third person singular masculine pronoun.
ella EH-lyah (Spain) / EH-yah (Latin America) she - Third person singular feminine pronoun.
nosotros no-SO-tros we - First person plural pronoun. Use 'nosotras' when the group is all female.
ellos EH-lyos (Spain) / EH-yos (Latin America) they (masculine/mixed group) - Use 'ellas' for an all-female group.
ser sehr to be (permanent/essential characteristics) - Used for identity, origin, profession, time, and inherent qualities. Compare with 'estar' for temporary states.
estar ehs-TAHR to be (temporary states/location) - Used for emotions, conditions, locations, and temporary states. Compare with 'ser' for permanent qualities.
tener teh-NEHR to have - Also used in many expressions: tener hambre (be hungry), tener sed (be thirsty), tener frio (be cold), tener calor (be hot).
ir eer to go - Irregular verb. 'Voy' (I go), 'vas' (you go), 'va' (he/she goes). Used with 'a' + infinitive for future: 'Voy a comer' (I'm going to eat).
venir beh-NEER to come - Irregular verb. 'Vengo' (I come), 'vienes' (you come). Note: false friend with English 'venue'.
comer ko-MEHR to eat - Regular -er verb. 'Como' (I eat), 'comes' (you eat), 'come' (he/she eats).
beber beh-BEHR to drink - Regular -er verb. 'Bebo' (I drink), 'bebes' (you drink).
querer keh-REHR to want / to love - 'Quiero' (I want), 'quieres' (you want). Also means 'to love' for people: 'Te quiero' (I love you).
poder po-DEHR to be able to / can - 'Puedo' (I can), 'puedes' (you can). Used to ask permission or ability.
hablar ah-BLAHR (silent h) to speak / to talk - Regular -ar verb. 'Hablo' (I speak), 'hablas' (you speak). Remember: 'h' is silent.
saber sah-BEHR to know (facts/how to do something) - 'Se' (I know), 'sabes' (you know). Compare with 'conocer' (to know/be familiar with people/places).
necesitar neh-theh-see-TAHR (Spain) / neh-seh-see-TAHR (Lat Am) to need - Regular -ar verb. 'Necesito' (I need), 'necesitas' (you need).
bueno BWEH-no good - Changes to 'buena' for feminine nouns. Shortens to 'buen' before masculine singular nouns: 'buen dia'.
malo MAH-lo bad - Changes to 'mala' for feminine. Shortens to 'mal' before masculine singular nouns.
grande GRAHN-deh big / large / great - Same form for masculine and feminine. Shortens to 'gran' before singular nouns: 'una gran ciudad' (a great city).
pequeno peh-KEH-nyo small / little - Changes to 'pequena' for feminine nouns.
mucho MOO-cho a lot / much / very much - Changes to 'mucha' for feminine, 'muchos/muchas' for plural. As adverb (with verbs) stays 'mucho'.
poco PO-ko a little / few - 'Un poco de' means 'a little bit of'. Changes to 'poca/pocos/pocas' as adjective.
y ee and - Basic connector. Pronounced like English 'ee'. Changes to 'e' before words starting with 'i' or 'hi': 'espanol e ingles'.
pero PEH-ro (single soft r, not trilled) but - Basic contrasting connector. Do not confuse with 'perro' (dog) which has a rolled rr.
porque por-KEH because - Used to give reasons. Do not confuse with 'por que' (why, as a question) which is two separate words with an accent.
si see yes - Basic affirmative. With accent 'si' also means 'if' (without accent). Both are extremely common.
no no no / not - Used both as 'no' and to negate verbs. Place before the verb: 'No quiero' (I don't want).
muy mwee very - Used before adjectives and adverbs. Never changes form.

Food and Dining

Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Listen
la paella lah pah-EH-lyah (Spain) / pah-EH-yah (Latin America) paella - Spain's iconic rice dish with saffron, typically made with seafood, chicken, or vegetables. Originally from Valencia.
las tapas lahs TAH-pahs tapas - Small dishes or appetizers shared among friends. A social way of eating in Spain. Common tapas include olives, ham, cheese, and croquettes.
la tortilla espanola lah tor-TEE-lyah ehs-pah-NYO-lah Spanish omelette - Thick egg omelette with potatoes and sometimes onion. A staple of Spanish cuisine, served hot or cold.
los churros los CHOO-rros churros - Fried dough pastry, typically served with thick hot chocolate for dipping. Popular for breakfast or as a snack.
el gazpacho el gath-PAH-cho (Spain) / gas-PAH-cho (Latin America) gazpacho - Cold tomato soup from Andalusia. Made with tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, garlic, olive oil, and bread. Perfect for hot summer days.
la sangria lah sahn-GREE-ah sangria - Red wine punch with fruit, sugar, and sometimes brandy. Popular summer drink in Spain.
el jamon el hah-MON (throaty h) ham - 'Jamon iberico' and 'jamon serrano' are prized Spanish cured hams. A cultural icon of Spanish cuisine.
el pan el pahn bread - Bread accompanies most Spanish meals.
el agua el AH-gwah water - Feminine noun but uses 'el' in singular for phonetic reasons. 'Con gas' = sparkling, 'sin gas' = still.
el vino tinto el BEE-no TEEN-to red wine - Spain is one of the world's great wine countries. 'Tinto' means red for wine specifically.
el vino blanco el BEE-no BLAHN-ko white wine
el cafe el kah-FEH coffee - In Spain, 'cafe solo' is espresso, 'cafe con leche' is with milk, 'cortado' is with a splash of milk.
el arroz el ah-ROTH (Spain) / ah-ROS (Latin America) rice - Base of many Spanish dishes including paella.
la ensalada lah en-sah-LAH-dah salad
el pescado el pehs-KAH-do fish (as food) - 'Pescado' is fish for eating. 'Pez' is a living fish.
la carne lah KAHR-neh meat - General term for meat. 'Carne de res' = beef, 'carne de cerdo' = pork.
la carta lah KAHR-tah the menu - In a restaurant, ask for 'la carta'. 'El menu' often refers to a fixed-price set menu (menu del dia).
la cuenta, por favor lah KWEN-tah, por fah-BOR the bill, please - Essential phrase for ending a meal at a restaurant.
el camarero el kah-mah-REH-ro waiter - 'Camarera' for female. In Latin America, 'mesero/mesera' is more common.
para llevar PAH-rah lyeh-BAHR (Spain) / PAH-rah yeh-BAHR (Lat Am) to go / takeaway - Used when ordering food to take out.
soy vegetariano soy beh-heh-tah-ree-AH-no I'm vegetarian (male) - Use 'soy vegetariana' if female.
esta muy rico ehs-TAH mwee RREE-ko it's very tasty / delicious - 'Rico' is commonly used for delicious food in Spanish. 'Rica' for feminine nouns.
el desayuno el deh-sah-YOO-no breakfast - In Spain, breakfast is typically light: coffee and toast or pastry.
la propina lah pro-PEE-nah tip / gratuity - Tipping in Spain is not obligatory but rounding up or leaving small change is common.
las croquetas lahs kro-KEH-tahs croquettes - Breaded and fried rolls filled with bechamel and ham, cod, or mushrooms. One of Spain's most beloved tapas.

Social and Relationship

Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Listen
la familia lah fah-MEE-lee-ah the family - Family is central to Spanish and Latin American culture.
la madre lah MAH-dreh the mother - Informal: 'mama'. In conversation, 'mi madre' (my mother) or 'mi mama' (my mom).
el padre el PAH-dreh the father - Informal: 'papa'. 'Los padres' means 'the parents'.
el hermano el ehr-MAH-no the brother - 'Hermana' for sister. 'Los hermanos' can mean 'the siblings'.
la hermana lah ehr-MAH-nah the sister
el hijo el EE-ho (silent h, throaty j) the son - 'Los hijos' means 'the children' (sons and daughters).
la hija lah EE-hah (silent h) the daughter
el amigo el ah-MEE-go the friend (male) - 'Amiga' for female friend. 'Los amigos' for a mixed group.
la amiga lah ah-MEE-gah the friend (female)
el marido el mah-REE-do the husband - Also 'el esposo' (more formal).
la mujer lah moo-HEHR (throaty h) the wife / the woman - Context determines whether it means 'wife' or 'woman'. Also 'la esposa' (wife, more formal).
el novio el NO-bee-oh the boyfriend / the groom - 'La novia' for girlfriend/bride.
usted oos-TEHD you (formal) - Used for respect with strangers, elders, and in formal situations. Takes third-person verb forms. Abbreviated 'Ud.' or 'Vd.'
encantado en-kahn-TAH-do delighted / pleased to meet you (male speaker) - Use 'encantada' if you are female. Said when being introduced.
de donde eres? deh DON-deh EH-rehs where are you from? (informal) - Formal: 'De donde es usted?'
a que te dedicas? ah keh teh deh-DEE-kahs what do you do for a living? (informal) - Formal: 'A que se dedica?'
cuantos anos tienes? KWAHN-tos AH-nyos tee-EH-nehs how old are you? (informal) - Spanish uses 'tener' (to have) for age, not 'ser' (to be). Formal: 'Cuantos anos tiene?'
te gusta...? teh GOO-stah do you like...? - The verb 'gustar' works differently: the thing liked is the subject. 'Me gusta' = I like, 'te gusta' = you like.
me gusta mucho meh GOO-stah MOO-cho I like it a lot - 'Me gustan' for plural things: 'Me gustan las tapas' (I like tapas).
felicidades feh-lee-thee-DAH-dehs (Spain) / feh-lee-see-DAH-dehs (Lat Am) congratulations - Used for birthdays, achievements, and celebrations.
salud sah-LOOD cheers / bless you - Said when toasting drinks ('Cheers!') or when someone sneezes ('Bless you!'). Literally means 'health'.
lo paso muy bien lo PAH-so mwee bee-EN I'm having a great time - 'Pasarlo bien' means to have a good time.
quedamos manana? keh-DAH-mos mah-NYAH-nah shall we meet tomorrow? - 'Quedar' means to arrange to meet up.
nos vemos nos BEH-mos see you / we'll see each other - Casual farewell. Very commonly used among friends.
el abuelo el ah-BWEH-lo the grandfather - 'La abuela' for grandmother. 'Los abuelos' means 'the grandparents'.

Sentence Patterns

Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Listen
Estoy cansado. ehs-TOY kahn-SAH-do I am tired. Pattern: estar + adjective (for temporary states/conditions). Use 'estar' (not 'ser') for emotions and physical states that can change.
Soy profesor. soy pro-feh-SOR I am a teacher. Pattern: ser + profession/identity (for permanent characteristics). Use 'ser' for identity, origin, profession, and inherent qualities. Note: no article needed before professions.
Tengo hambre. TEN-go AHM-breh I am hungry. Pattern: tener + noun (for physical sensations). Spanish uses 'to have' where English uses 'to be' for: hambre (hunger), sed (thirst), frio (cold), calor (heat), sueno (sleepiness).
Voy a comer. boy ah ko-MEHR I'm going to eat. Pattern: ir + a + infinitive (near future). This is the most common way to express future actions in spoken Spanish, similar to English 'going to'.
Quiero comprar un regalo. kee-EH-ro kom-PRAHR oon reh-GAH-lo I want to buy a gift. Pattern: querer + infinitive (expressing desire). Follow 'quiero' with any verb in infinitive form to say what you want to do.
Puedo pagar con tarjeta? PWEH-do pah-GAHR kon tar-HEH-tah Can I pay by card? Pattern: poder + infinitive (ability/permission). Use 'puedo' + infinitive to ask if you can do something.
Tengo que irme. TEN-go keh EER-meh I have to go. Pattern: tener + que + infinitive (obligation/necessity). Expresses 'have to' or 'must'. Very common in everyday speech.
Hay un banco cerca de aqui? eye oon BAHN-ko THEHR-kah deh ah-KEE Is there a bank near here? Pattern: hay + noun (there is/there are). 'Hay' is invariable - same form for singular and plural. Use for existence or availability.
Me gusta la musica. meh GOO-stah lah MOO-see-kah I like music. Pattern: indirect object + gustar (expressing likes). The thing liked is the subject. 'Me gusta' (singular thing), 'me gustan' (plural things). Different from English word order.
No hablo espanol muy bien. no AH-blo ehs-pah-NYOL mwee bee-EN I don't speak Spanish very well. Pattern: no + verb (simple negation). Place 'no' directly before the verb to negate any sentence.
Cual es tu comida favorita? kwahl ehs too ko-MEE-dah fah-bo-REE-tah What is your favorite food? Pattern: cual + es (which is). Use 'cual' for 'which/what' when asking for a choice or specific answer. Different from 'que' (what) which asks for a definition.
Esta lloviendo. ehs-TAH lyo-bee-EN-do It's raining. Pattern: estar + gerund (present continuous). Formed with estar + verb stem + -ando (for -ar verbs) or -iendo (for -er/-ir verbs). Describes actions happening right now.
He visitado Madrid. eh bee-see-TAH-do mah-DREED I have visited Madrid. Pattern: haber + past participle (present perfect). Formed with 'he/has/ha/hemos/han' + past participle (-ado for -ar verbs, -ido for -er/-ir verbs). Used for recent past in Spain.
Ayer fui al cine. ah-YEHR fwee ahl THEE-neh Yesterday I went to the cinema. Pattern: preterite tense (completed past action). Used for actions completed at a specific time in the past. 'Fui' is irregular past of 'ir' (to go).
Se habla espanol aqui. seh AH-blah ehs-pah-NYOL ah-KEE Spanish is spoken here. Pattern: se + verb (impersonal/passive). 'Se' + third person verb creates impersonal or passive constructions. Very common in signs and general statements.
La casa que compre es grande. lah KAH-sah keh kom-PREH ehs GRAHN-deh The house that I bought is big. Pattern: noun + que + clause (relative clause). 'Que' connects a noun to additional information about it, like English 'that/which/who'.
Mas grande que mi casa. mahs GRAHN-deh keh mee KAH-sah Bigger than my house. Pattern: mas + adjective + que (comparisons). Use 'mas...que' for 'more...than'. Use 'menos...que' for 'less...than'. Irregular: mejor (better), peor (worse).
Si tengo tiempo, voy contigo. see TEN-go tee-EM-po, boy kon-TEE-go If I have time, I'll go with you. Pattern: si + present tense, present/future (conditional). For real/likely conditions, use present tense after 'si'. The result clause uses present or future.
Dame el libro, por favor. DAH-meh el LEE-bro, por fah-BOR Give me the book, please. Pattern: imperative + pronoun (commands with object pronouns). In affirmative commands, pronouns attach to the end of the verb. 'Da' + 'me' = 'dame'.
Cuando llegas? KWAHN-do LYEH-gahs When do you arrive? Pattern: question word + verb (information questions). Spanish question words: cuando (when), donde (where), como (how), por que (why), que (what), quien (who).
Me encanta viajar. meh en-KAHN-tah bee-ah-HAHR I love traveling. Pattern: indirect object + encantar (expressing strong likes). 'Encantar' works like 'gustar' but means 'to love/adore'. Stronger than 'me gusta mucho'.
Acabo de llegar. ah-KAH-bo deh lyeh-GAHR I just arrived. Pattern: acabar + de + infinitive (just did something). Expresses an action that just happened. Very useful and commonly used in conversation.
Llevo tres anos estudiando espanol. LYEH-bo trehs AH-nyos ehs-too-dee-AHN-do I've been studying Spanish for three years. Pattern: llevar + time + gerund (duration of ongoing action). Expresses how long something has been happening. No equivalent single-word structure in English.
Hay que reservar. eye keh reh-sehr-BAHR One must reserve. / It's necessary to reserve. Pattern: hay + que + infinitive (impersonal obligation). Expresses general necessity without specifying who. Different from 'tener que' which is personal.
Lo importante es practicar. lo eem-por-TAHN-teh ehs prahk-tee-KAHR The important thing is to practice. Pattern: lo + adjective (abstract noun formation). 'Lo' + adjective creates an abstract concept: lo bueno (the good thing), lo malo (the bad thing), lo mejor (the best thing).

Numbers, Time and Money

Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Listen
cero THEH-ro (Spain) / SEH-ro (Latin America) zero (0)
uno OO-no one (1) - Changes to 'un' before masculine nouns and 'una' before feminine nouns.
dos dos two (2)
tres trehs three (3)
cuatro KWAH-tro four (4)
cinco THEEN-ko (Spain) / SEEN-ko (Latin America) five (5)
seis says six (6)
siete see-EH-teh seven (7)
ocho OH-cho eight (8)
nueve NWEH-beh nine (9)
diez dee-ETH (Spain) / dee-ES (Latin America) ten (10)
veinte BAYN-teh twenty (20)
cien thee-EN (Spain) / see-EN (Latin America) one hundred (100) - Use 'cien' alone, but 'ciento' before other numbers: 'ciento veinte' (120).
mil meel one thousand (1000) - Does not change in plural: 'dos mil' (two thousand), 'tres mil' (three thousand).
hoy oy today
manana mah-NYAH-nah tomorrow / morning - Context determines meaning. 'Manana por la manana' means 'tomorrow morning'.
ayer ah-YEHR yesterday
ahora ah-OH-rah now - 'Ahora mismo' means 'right now'.
que hora es? keh OH-rah ehs what time is it? - Answered with 'Es la una' (It's one) or 'Son las dos/tres...' (It's two/three...).
la semana lah seh-MAH-nah the week - 'Esta semana' (this week), 'la semana que viene' (next week), 'la semana pasada' (last week).

Pronunciation and Spelling

Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Listen
perro PEH-rro (strong tongue trill on rr) dog - Demonstrates the rolled 'rr' sound. The double r is a strong trill made by vibrating the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
carro KAH-rro (strong tongue trill on rr) car (Latin America) / cart - Another 'rr' trill word. Practice the strong vibration of the tongue tip. In Spain, 'coche' is more common for car.
joven HO-ven (throaty H sound, like clearing throat) young - The Spanish 'j' is a strong throaty sound, like the 'ch' in Scottish 'loch'. Never pronounced like English 'j'.
gente HEN-teh (throaty H before e/i) people - Before 'e' or 'i', the Spanish 'g' sounds like the throaty 'j' (like 'ch' in Scottish 'loch'). Before 'a', 'o', 'u' it sounds like English 'g' in 'go'.
calle KAH-lyeh (Spain) / KAH-yeh (Latin America) street - The 'll' in Spain (standard) is pronounced like 'ly' or the 'lli' in 'million'. In Latin America it often sounds like English 'y' in 'yes'. In Argentina it sounds like 'sh'.
pollo PO-lyo (Spain) / PO-yo (Latin America) chicken - Another 'll' word. Practice the 'ly' sound (Spain) or 'y' sound (Latin America). Do not confuse with 'polo' (polo shirt).
ano AH-no (plain n, no tilde) anus - Without the tilde, 'ano' means anus. This demonstrates why the tilde on 'n' matters critically. Compare with 'ano' (year), which is spelled with a tilde over the n.
niño NEE-nyo (ny sound, tongue on roof of mouth) boy/child - The 'n' demonstrates the palatal nasal sound, like 'ny' in 'canyon'. Made by pressing the middle of your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
vaca BAH-kah (v sounds exactly like b, not English v) cow - In Spanish, 'b' and 'v' are pronounced identically. At the start of a phrase or after 'n'/'m', both sound like English 'b'. Between vowels, both become a soft sound where lips barely touch. 'Vaca' sounds like 'baca'.
vivir bee-BEER (v sounds like b, not English v) to live - The 'v' is pronounced exactly like 'b' in Spanish. There is no English 'v' sound (teeth on lip) in standard Spanish.
nada NAH-tha (soft d between vowels, like 'th' in 'this') nothing - The 'd' between vowels becomes very soft in natural speech, almost like the 'th' in English 'this'. At the start of a word, 'd' sounds like English 'd'.
ciudad thee-oo-DAHD (Spain) / see-oo-DAHD (Latin America) city - The final 'd' in Spanish is very soft, almost silent. The 'c' before 'i' is pronounced 'th' in Spain (like 'thin') but 's' in Latin America.
cerveza thehr-BEH-thah (Spain) / sehr-BEH-sah (Latin America) beer - Demonstrates the c/z distinction. In Spain, 'c' before 'e/i' and 'z' are pronounced like 'th' in 'think'. In Latin America, they sound like 's'.
hacer ah-THEHR (Spain) / ah-SEHR (Latin America) - silent h to do / to make - The 'h' in Spanish is always silent. Never pronounce it. The 'c' before 'e' follows the th/s rule (Spain vs Latin America).
guapo GWAH-po (gw sound before a) handsome/good-looking - The 'gu' before 'a' sounds like 'gw'. But 'gu' before 'e/i' the 'u' is silent (just 'g' sound). To pronounce 'u' before e/i, it needs a diaeresis: 'gu'.

Directions and Transport

Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Listen
a la izquierda ah lah eeth-kee-EHR-dah (Spain) / ees-kee-EHR-dah (Lat Am) to the left / on the left
a la derecha ah lah deh-REH-chah to the right / on the right
todo recto TO-do RREK-to straight ahead - In Latin America, 'derecho' or 'todo derecho' is more common.
aqui ah-KEE here - Indicates close proximity to the speaker.
alli ah-LYEE (Spain) / ah-YEE (Latin America) there - Indicates a place away from the speaker.
donde esta...? DON-deh ehs-TAH where is...? - Essential question for finding places. Follow with the place name.
cerca THEHR-kah (Spain) / SEHR-kah (Latin America) near / close - 'Cerca de' means 'near to'.
lejos LEH-hos (throaty h) far - 'Lejos de' means 'far from'.
el metro el MEH-tro the metro / subway - Major Spanish cities (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia) have metro systems.
el taxi el TAHK-see taxi
la estacion lah ehs-tah-thee-ON (Spain) / ehs-tah-see-ON (Lat Am) the station - 'Estacion de tren' (train station), 'estacion de autobus' (bus station).
el aeropuerto el ah-eh-ro-PWEHR-to the airport
un billete oon bee-LYEH-teh (Spain) / bee-YEH-teh (Lat Am) a ticket - Used for transport tickets. In Latin America, 'boleto' is more common.
a que hora sale...? ah keh OH-rah SAH-leh what time does ... leave? - Used for buses, trains, flights.
la parada lah pah-RAH-dah the stop (bus/metro) - 'Parada de autobus' (bus stop), 'parada de metro' (metro stop).

Emergency and Health

Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Listen
ayuda! ah-YOO-dah help! - Shout this in an emergency to get attention.
la policia lah po-lee-THEE-ah (Spain) / po-lee-SEE-ah (Latin America) the police - Emergency number in Spain: 112 (general) or 091 (national police).
el hospital el os-pee-TAHL (silent h) the hospital
la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-thee-ah (Spain) / fahr-MAH-see-ah (Lat Am) the pharmacy - In Spain, pharmacies are identified by a green cross sign. Pharmacists can advise on minor health issues.
estoy enfermo ehs-TOY en-FEHR-mo I am sick (male) - Use 'estoy enferma' if female. Uses 'estar' because illness is a temporary state.
me duele la cabeza meh DWEH-leh lah kah-BEH-thah I have a headache - Literally 'my head hurts me'. Pattern: 'me duele + body part'.
necesito un medico neh-theh-SEE-to oon MEH-dee-ko I need a doctor
soy alergico a... soy ah-LEHR-hee-ko ah I am allergic to... (male) - Use 'alergica' if female. Critical for food allergies and medical situations.
es una emergencia ehs OO-nah eh-mehr-HEN-thee-ah (Spain) it's an emergency
me han robado meh ahn rro-BAH-do I've been robbed - Important phrase for reporting theft to police.

Frequently asked questions

Do these work in both Spain and Latin America?

These are the phrases that travel. Every region shares the greetings and the numbers and the everyday verbs. Slang splits by country. So does the name of a dish. A local will correct you and enjoy doing it.

How many Spanish words do you need to get by?

About 200 high-frequency words and phrases carry most everyday exchanges. Conversation reuses a small core. The long tail comes later and comes from context.

How long does it take to learn 200 phrases?

Ten new phrases a day gets you through all of them in three weeks. Making them stick takes a couple of months. The spacing of the reviews matters more than the length of a session.

Keep learning Spanish

More free guides and decks to get you speaking.

Colors in Spanish Spanish Flashcards Essential Spanish Travel Phrases Browse all Spanish sets