Essential Spanish phrases for travel
Quick answer
Learn greetings (hola, gracias, por favor), restaurant phrases (la cuenta, por favor), directions (¿dónde está…?), shopping (¿cuánto cuesta?) and emergency phrases (necesito ayuda). For full conversations, use a Spanish voice translator.
Key takeaways
- Start every interaction with 'Hola' or 'Buenos días'
- 'Por favor' and 'gracias' go a long way
- '¿Dónde está…?' + a place = directions
- '¿Cuánto cuesta?' for prices
- Use a voice translator for longer conversations
Greetings and basics
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Hola | OH-lah |
| Good morning | Buenos días | BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs |
| Good afternoon | Buenas tardes | BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs |
| Good evening / night | Buenas noches | BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs |
| Please | Por favor | por fah-VOR |
| Thank you | Gracias | GRAH-see-ahs |
| You're welcome | De nada | deh NAH-dah |
| Excuse me | Disculpe | dees-KOOL-peh |
| Sorry | Lo siento | loh SYEN-toh |
| Yes / No | Sí / No | see / noh |
| I don't speak Spanish | No hablo español | noh AH-bloh ehs-pah-NYOHL |
| Do you speak English? | ¿Habla inglés? | AH-blah een-GLEHS |
| I don't understand | No entiendo | noh ehn-TYEHN-doh |
| Can you repeat, please? | ¿Puede repetir, por favor? | PWEH-deh reh-peh-TEER |
At a restaurant
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| A table for two, please | Una mesa para dos, por favor | OO-nah MEH-sah PAH-rah dohs |
| The menu, please | La carta, por favor | lah KAR-tah |
| I would like… | Quisiera… | kee-SYEH-rah |
| Water, please | Agua, por favor | AH-gwah |
| I'm vegetarian | Soy vegetariano / vegetariana | soy veh-heh-tah-RYAH-noh |
| I'm allergic to… | Soy alérgico / alérgica a… | soy ah-LEHR-hee-koh ah |
| The check, please | La cuenta, por favor | lah KWEN-tah |
| It was delicious | Estaba delicioso | ehs-TAH-bah deh-lee-SYOH-soh |
Directions and transport
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Where is…? | ¿Dónde está…? | DOHN-deh ehs-TAH |
| Where is the bathroom? | ¿Dónde está el baño? | DOHN-deh ehs-TAH el BAH-nyoh |
| Left / Right / Straight | Izquierda / Derecha / Recto | ees-KYEHR-dah / deh-REH-chah / REHK-toh |
| Is it far? | ¿Está lejos? | ehs-TAH LEH-hohs |
| To this address, please | A esta dirección, por favor | ah EHS-tah dee-rehk-SYOHN |
| The train / bus station | La estación de tren / autobús | lah ehs-tah-SYOHN deh trehn / ow-toh-BOOS |
| One ticket to… | Un boleto a… (Lat. Am.) / Un billete a… (Spain) | oon boh-LEH-toh / bee-YEH-teh |
Shopping
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| How much does it cost? | ¿Cuánto cuesta? | KWAN-toh KWEHS-tah |
| Too expensive | Muy caro | mwee KAH-roh |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? | PWEH-doh pah-GAR kohn tar-HEH-tah |
| Cash | Efectivo | eh-fehk-TEE-voh |
| Just looking, thanks | Solo estoy mirando, gracias | SOH-loh ehs-TOY mee-RAHN-doh |
Hotel
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| I have a reservation | Tengo una reserva | TEHN-goh OO-nah reh-SEHR-vah |
| What time is check-out? | ¿A qué hora es la salida? | ah keh OH-rah ehs lah sah-LEE-dah |
| What's the Wi-Fi password? | ¿Cuál es la contraseña del wifi? | kwahl ehs lah kohn-trah-SEH-nyah |
| Can I leave my luggage? | ¿Puedo dejar mi equipaje? | PWEH-doh deh-HAR mee eh-kee-PAH-heh |
Emergencies
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | ¡Ayuda! | ah-YOO-dah |
| I need help | Necesito ayuda | neh-seh-SEE-toh ah-YOO-dah |
| Call a doctor | Llame a un médico | YAH-meh ah oon MEH-dee-koh |
| Call the police | Llame a la policía | YAH-meh ah lah poh-lee-SEE-ah |
| I'm lost | Estoy perdido / perdida | ehs-TOY pehr-DEE-doh |
| Where is the hospital? | ¿Dónde está el hospital? | DOHN-deh ehs-TAH el ohs-pee-TAHL |
Spain vs Latin America
A few words change between regions: a car is coche in Spain and carro or auto in much of Latin America; a ticket is billete in Spain and boleto in many Latin American countries; "you all" is vosotros in Spain and ustedes in Latin America. You'll be understood either way.
When phrases aren't enough
Phrases get you through transactions; conversations need more. A Spanish to English voice translator like Speaklu lets you speak English and have it spoken in Spanish (and back) in real time. Spanish speakers can use our traductor de voz español-inglés page.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most important Spanish phrases for travel?
Hola, por favor, gracias, disculpe, ¿dónde está…?, ¿cuánto cuesta?, la cuenta por favor, no entiendo and necesito ayuda.
Is Spanish in Spain different from Latin America?
Pronunciation and some vocabulary differ — for example coche vs carro for car — but travelers are understood everywhere.
How do I ask for the bill in Spanish?
Say 'La cuenta, por favor' (lah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR).
Can I travel in Spanish-speaking countries without speaking Spanish?
Yes. Learn basic phrases and use a Spanish voice translator for conversations.