Greetings & Politeness
A few words of Spanish open every door in Latin America and Spain — greetings are the highest-return phrases you can learn. Paste any phrase into the Language Helper for translation with pronunciation guidance.
Always add por favor and gracias — these two words carry you through markets, taxis, and restaurants.
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Hola | (OH-lah) |
| Good morning | Buenos días | (BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs) |
| Good afternoon | Buenas tardes | (BWEH-nahs TAHR-dehs) |
| Good evening / Good night | Buenas noches | (BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs) |
| How are you? (formal) | ¿Cómo está? | (KOH-moh ehs-TAH) |
| Nice to meet you | Mucho gusto | (MOO-choh GOOS-toh) |
| Please | Por favor | (por fah-VOR) |
| Thank you | Gracias | (GRAH-syahs) |
| You're welcome | De nada | (deh NAH-dah) |
| Excuse me (getting attention) | Disculpe | (dees-KOOL-peh) |
| Excuse me (passing by) | Con permiso | (kon pehr-MEE-soh) |
| I'm sorry | Lo siento | (loh SYEHN-toh) |
| Yes | Sí | (see) |
| No | No | (noh) |
| Goodbye | Adiós | (ah-DYOHS) |
| See you later | Hasta luego | (AH-stah loo-EH-goh) |
For more on building a travel-ready phrase toolkit, see our useful phrases every traveler should know.
At the Airport
Airports are where a little Spanish pays off fastest — check-in, delays, and finding your terminal.
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the check-in counter? | ¿Dónde está el mostrador de check-in? | (DOHN-deh ehs-TAH ehl mohs-trah-DOR deh check-in) |
| I have a reservation | Tengo una reservación | (TEHN-goh OO-nah reh-sehr-vah-SYOHN) |
| What time is my flight? | ¿A qué hora es mi vuelo? | (ah keh OH-rah ehs mee VWEH-loh) |
| Is my flight delayed? | ¿Mi vuelo está retrasado? | (mee VWEH-loh ehs-TAH reh-trah-SAH-doh) |
| I missed my flight | Perdí mi vuelo | (pehr-DEE mee VWEH-loh) |
| Where is the gate? | ¿Dónde está la puerta de embarque? | (DOHN-deh ehs-TAH lah PWEHR-tah deh ehm-BAHR-keh) |
| Where is baggage claim? | ¿Dónde está la recogida de equipaje? | (DOHN-deh ehs-TAH lah reh-koh-HEE-dah deh eh-kee-PAH-heh) |
| Where is customs? | ¿Dónde está la aduana? | (DOHN-deh ehs-TAH lah ah-DWAH-nah) |
At the Hotel
Using Spanish at hotels gets you faster, friendlier service — especially in small towns where English is rare.
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| I have a reservation under… | Tengo una reservación a nombre de… | (TEHN-goh OO-nah reh-sehr-vah-SYOHN ah NOHM-breh deh) |
| What time is check-in? | ¿A qué hora es el check-in? | (ah keh OH-rah ehs ehl check-in) |
| Can I check out late? | ¿Puedo hacer check-out tarde? | (PWEH-doh ah-SEHR check-out TAHR-deh) |
| Is breakfast included? | ¿El desayuno está incluido? | (ehl deh-sah-YOO-noh ehs-TAH een-kloo-EE-doh) |
| Is there Wi-Fi? | ¿Hay Wi-Fi? | (ay WEE-fee) |
| What is the Wi-Fi password? | ¿Cuál es la contraseña del Wi-Fi? | (kwahl ehs lah kohn-trah-SEH-nyah dehl WEE-fee) |
| Can I have extra towels, please? | ¿Me puede dar toallas extra, por favor? | (meh PWEH-deh dahr toh-AH-yahs EHKS-trah por fah-VOR) |
Restaurant & Food
Ordering confidently in Spanish makes every meal better — memorize la cuenta, por favor, you'll use it daily. Stuck on a menu item? Type it into the Language Helper for an instant translation.
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| A table for two, please | Una mesa para dos, por favor | (OO-nah MEH-sah PAH-rah dohs por fah-VOR) |
| The menu, please | El menú, por favor | (ehl meh-NOO por fah-VOR) |
| What do you recommend? | ¿Qué me recomienda? | (keh meh reh-koh-MYEHN-dah) |
| Water, please | Agua, por favor | (AH-gwah por fah-VOR) |
| No ice | Sin hielo | (seen YEH-loh) |
| I'm vegetarian | Soy vegetariano / vegetariana | (soy veh-heh-tah-RYAH-noh / nah) |
| Delicious! | ¡Qué rico! | (keh REE-koh) |
| The check, please | La cuenta, por favor | (lah KWEHN-tah por fah-VOR) |
| Is the tip included? | ¿La propina está incluida? | (lah proh-PEE-nah ehs-TAH een-kloo-EE-dah) |
Directions & Transport
¿Dónde está…? is the single most useful travel question in Spanish — pair it with a place name and gestures. For taxis, agree on the price before getting in.
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Where is…? | ¿Dónde está…? | (DOHN-deh ehs-TAH) |
| How do I get to…? | ¿Cómo llego a…? | (KOH-moh YEH-goh ah) |
| Is it far from here? | ¿Está lejos de aquí? | (ehs-TAH LEH-hohs deh ah-KEE) |
| Turn left / right | Gire a la izquierda / derecha | (HEE-reh ah lah ees-KYEHR-dah / deh-REH-chah) |
| Straight ahead | Todo recto | (TOH-doh REHK-toh) |
| How much is a taxi to…? | ¿Cuánto cuesta un taxi a…? | (KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah oon TAHK-see ah) |
| Where is the bus stop? | ¿Dónde está la parada de autobús? | (DOHN-deh ehs-TAH lah pah-RAH-dah deh ow-toh-BOOS) |
Shopping & Money
Bargaining is expected in many Latin American markets — a smile plus ¿cuánto cuesta? goes a long way. In malls, prices are fixed.
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| How much does this cost? | ¿Cuánto cuesta esto? | (KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah EHS-toh) |
| Do you accept credit cards? | ¿Aceptan tarjetas de crédito? | (ah-SEHP-tahn tahr-HEH-tahs deh KREH-dee-toh) |
| Can I pay in cash? | ¿Puedo pagar en efectivo? | (PWEH-doh pah-GAHR ehn eh-fehk-TEE-voh) |
| Is there a discount? | ¿Hay algún descuento? | (ay ahl-GOON dehs-KWEHN-toh) |
| Too expensive | Muy caro | (mwee KAH-roh) |
| I'm just looking | Solo estoy mirando | (SOH-loh ehs-TOY mee-RAHN-doh) |
Emergencies
Hopefully you'll never need these — but they're worth learning precisely because confusion isn't an option. Keep your hotel's address saved in your phone.
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | ¡Ayuda! | (ah-YOO-dah) |
| I need help | Necesito ayuda | (neh-seh-SEE-toh ah-YOO-dah) |
| Call the police | Llame a la policía | (YAH-meh ah lah poh-lee-SEE-ah) |
| I need a doctor | Necesito un doctor | (neh-seh-SEE-toh oon dohk-TOR) |
| Where is the hospital? | ¿Dónde está el hospital? | (DOHN-deh ehs-TAH ehl ohs-pee-TAHL) |
| I lost my passport | Perdí mi pasaporte | (pehr-DEE mee pah-sah-POR-teh) |
Friendly Small Talk
Small talk turns transactions into connections — a two-minute chat with a taxi driver is often the most memorable part of a trip. Don't fear mistakes: stumbling is part of getting fluent (why).
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Where are you from? (formal) | ¿De dónde es usted? | (deh DOHN-deh ehs oos-TEHD) |
| I'm from the United States | Soy de Estados Unidos | (soy deh ehs-TAH-dohs oo-NEE-dohs) |
| What do you do? (formal) | ¿A qué se dedica? | (ah keh seh deh-DEE-kah) |
| It's a beautiful city | Es una ciudad hermosa | (ehs OO-nah syoo-DAHD ehr-MOH-sah) |
| I love it here | Me encanta aquí | (meh ehn-KAHN-tah ah-KEE) |
| Can I take a photo? | ¿Puedo tomar una foto? | (PWEH-doh toh-MAHR OO-nah FOH-toh) |
Practice Any Phrase With the Language Helper
Memorized phrases only go so far — real trips throw curveballs: a menu item you don't recognize, a question from a taxi driver, a sign you can't decode. That's what GlobleMatch's free Language Helper is for.
Type any English phrase — a full sentence, slang, or a situation like "ask for the check" — and get natural Spanish with a pronunciation guide. It's the neutral Latin American Spanish understood from Mexico City to Buenos Aires.
Try it before your trip: practice these phrases out loud and walk off the plane sounding like you've been there before.