Here are some basic Spanish words for travel, along with the English and also a phonetic version to help you try to say these words so they are understandable. If you’re heading off to places such as Benidorm, then you don’t need to worry too much, but off the beaten tourist track, then you will discover it’s always hand to know a few words of the local lingo.
Here are some of the basics:
| English | Spanish | Phonetic (Spanish) |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Hola | OH-lah |
| Good morning | Buenos días | BWAY-nos DEE-as |
| Good afternoon/good evening | Buenas tardes | BWAY-nas TAR-des |
| Good night | Buenas noches | BWAY-nas NOH-chays |
| How are you? (formal) | ¿Cómo está? | KOH-moh eh-STAH |
| I’m fine, thank you | Bien, gracias | bee-EN GRA-thee-as |
| What’s your name? | ¿Cómo te llamas? | KOH-moh teh YAH-mas |
| My name is… | Me llamo… | meh YAH-moh |
| Nice to meet you | Mucho gusto | MOO-choh GOO-stoh |
| Please | Por favor | por fah-VOR |
| Thank you | Gracias | GRA-thee-as |
| I don’t understand | Yo no entiendo | yo no en-tee-EN-doh |
| Do you speak English? | ¿Habla inglés? | AH-blah in-GLAYS |
These phrases cover common greetings, polite expressions, and basic communication needs in Spanish.
Why Bother?
We’ve all seen comedy clips of Brits abroad thinking the everyone should be speaking English, so by raising their voice it must mean the poor locals must understand. It does not work!
Learning basic Spanish words can significantly enhance your travel experience in Spain. Firstly, it fosters better communication with locals, making it easier to ask for directions, order food, or seek assistance. This can be particularly useful in areas where English is not widely spoken.
Moreover, speaking the local language demonstrates respect for the culture and people, often leading to warmer interactions and a more immersive experience. It can also help you navigate public transport, read signs, and understand menus, reducing the likelihood of misunderstandings or mistakes.
Additionally, knowing basic Spanish can enrich your travel by allowing you to engage more deeply with the local culture. You can appreciate local customs, traditions, and even humour, which might be lost in translation. It also opens up opportunities to explore off-the-beaten-path destinations where English-speaking tourists are less common.
Finally, learning a new language, even at a basic level, is intellectually stimulating and can boost your confidence. It’s a rewarding skill that can be useful beyond your trip, whether for future travels or in multicultural settings back home.
Here’s a table with 30 basic Spanish words and phrases that are ideal for traveling to Spain, including their English translations and simplified phonetic pronunciations:
| English | Spanish | Phonetic (Spanish) |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Hola | OH-lah |
| Goodbye | Adiós | ah-DYOS |
| Please | Por favor | por fah-VOR |
| Thank you | Gracias | GRAH-syahs |
| Yes | Sí | SEE |
| No | No | NOH |
| Excuse me | Perdón | pehr-DON |
| I’m sorry | Lo siento | loh SYEN-toh |
| Where is…? | ¿Dónde está…? | DON-deh eh-STA |
| How much? | ¿Cuánto cuesta? | KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah |
| Water | Agua | AH-gwah |
| Food | Comida | koh-MEE-dah |
| Bathroom | Baño | BAH-nyoh |
| Hotel | Hotel | oh-TEL |
| Airport | Aeropuerto | ah-eh-roh-PWEHR-toh |
| Train station | Estación de tren | ehs-tah-SYON deh tren |
| Bus | Autobús | ow-toh-BOOS |
| Taxi | Taxi | TAHK-see |
| Help | Ayuda | ah-YOO-dah |
| Open | Abierto | ah-BYEHR-toh |
| Closed | Cerrado | seh-RAH-doh |
| Left | Izquierda | ees-KYEHR-dah |
| Right | Derecha | deh-REH-cha |
| Straight ahead | Derecho | deh-REH-cho |
| I don’t understand | No entiendo | noh en-tee-EN-doh |
| Can you help me? | ¿Puede ayudarme? | PWEH-deh ah-yoo-DAR-meh |
| Check, please | La cuenta, por favor | lah KWEHN-tah por fah-VOR |
| Delicious | Delicioso | deh-lee-SYOH-soh |
| What time is it? | ¿Qué hora es? | keh OH-rah es |
| My name is… | Me llamo… | meh YAH-moh |
Food & Drink
Obviously, you’ll need to eat and drink, so let’s look at some basics for these essentials.
Drinks
I’m guessing people know Sangria, so we didn’t add that one. But one to consider too is Tinto de Verano, ideal for the summer.
| English | Spanish | Phonetic (Spanish) |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Agua | AH-gwah |
| Sparkling water | Agua con gas | AH-gwah kohn gahs |
| Still water | Agua sin gas | AH-gwah seen gahs |
| Coffee | Café | kah-FEH |
| Tea | Té | TEH |
| Beer | Cerveza | sehr-VEH-thah |
| Wine | Vino | VEE-noh |
| Red wine | Vino tinto | VEE-noh TEEN-toh |
| White wine | Vino blanco | VEE-noh BLAHN-koh |
| Juice | Jugo / Zumo | HOO-goh / THOO-moh |
| Soda | Refresco | reh-FREHS-koh |
| Cocktail | Cóctel | KOK-tel |
These terms will help you effectively communicate your drink preferences in a Spanish-speaking country.
Food
| English | Spanish | Phonetic (Spanish) |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Desayuno | deh-sah-YOO-noh |
| Lunch | Almuerzo | ahl-MWER-thoh |
| Dinner | Cena | SEH-nah |
| Appetizer | Aperitivo | ah-peh-ree-TEE-voh |
| Main course | Plato principal | PLAH-toh preen-see-PAHL |
| Dessert | Postre | POHS-treh |
| Bread | Pan | PAHN |
| Salad | Ensalada | en-sah-LAH-dah |
| Soup | Sopa | SOH-pah |
| Chicken | Pollo | POH-yoh |
| Fish | Pescado | pehs-KAH-doh |
| Beef | Carne de res | KAR-neh deh res |
| Vegetables | Verduras | vehr-DOO-ras |
| Fruit | Fruta | FROO-tah |
| Rice | Arroz | ah-ROHS |
These words and phrases will assist you in navigating menus and ordering food in Spanish-speaking regions.
Transportation
You might need to find a taxi, or look for the bus or train. Let’s help with these.
| English | Spanish | Phonetic (Spanish) |
|---|---|---|
| Car | Coche / Auto | KOH-cheh / OW-toh |
| Bus | Autobús | ow-toh-BOOS |
| Train | Tren | TREN |
| Taxi | Taxi | TAHK-see |
| Bicycle | Bicicleta | bee-see-KLEH-tah |
| Motorcycle | Motocicleta | moh-toh-see-KLEH-tah |
| Airplane | Avión | ah-BYON |
| Boat | Barco | BAR-koh |
| Subway | Metro | MEH-troh |
| Tram | Tranvía | trahn-BEE-ah |
| Ferry | Ferry | FEH-rree |
| Scooter | Scooter | es-KOO-ter |
| Helicopter | Helicóptero | eh-lee-KOP-teh-roh |
| Ship | Barco / Buque | BAR-koh / BOO-keh |
| Truck | Camión | kah-MYON |
These words will help you discuss and identify various modes of transport.
What Day Is It?
It’s ideal to understand the days of the week, especially if you need to book something in advance such as transportation or tickets to an event.
| Day (English) | Day (Spanish) | Phonetic (Spanish) |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Lunes | LOO-nes |
| Tuesday | Martes | MAR-tes |
| Wednesday | Miércoles | mee-ER-co-les |
| Thursday | Jueves | HWEH-ves |
| Friday | Viernes | vee-ER-nes |
| Saturday | Sábado | SAH-ba-do |
| Sunday | Domingo | doh-MEEN-go |
Each day is presented in English, then in Spanish, followed by a simplified phonetic representation to guide pronunciation. Now obviously these are just very basics to get you started, especially if you don’t have time for Spanish classes and are just visiting on holiday.
These words and phrases will help you with basic communication during your travels in Spain.
Even just learning a few words will help you get along here in Spain. Try ordering your food at a restaurant. many establishments have the menu in several languages, but don’t be afraid to order in Spanish, if the server looks confused, you can point to the menu.
When we lived down in a small inland village, none of the local bars, shops or restaurants had staff that could speak English, but then again, why did they need to? This encouraged us to learn some basic words and phrases and we got by, but we realised just how inadequate our communication levels and skills were. Now I can ring up a restaurant, ask for a reservation, giving the day, date, time, number of people all in Spanish. I may not be fluent or perfect, but 99.99% of the time they understand what I want.
Hope you enjoyed this and found it useful. Hasta luego ( see you later ) !
