80 Spanish Words and Phrases (for Beginners)

Do you speak Spanish? 

Or in Spanish, ¿Hablas Español?

If you don’t, why do you want to learn it? 

Is it because of your career, or your significant other, or you perhaps want to travel to Spanish speaking countries?

No matter the reason, it is always good to learn a language and Spanish, which is among the five most spoken languages worldwide, is an excellent choice.

To start learning, you have to know some of the essential words and phrases. 

Over time, you can master the language thanks to many useful ways and methods. 

One of the most useful ones is surely learning on online tutoring platforms such as Justlearn. You can find a native tutor from the comfort of your home and anytime you want.

Find a native tutor here

As we said, some essential words and phrases should be enough to get you started. 

Don’t worry if you speak too slowly, or with a foreign accent. 

Since Spanish are very friendly and always delighted to hear that someone speaks their language, they won’t mind at all, just as they won’t mind repeating a sentence ten times if needed.

Immerse yourself in their culture by reading our guide: The Only Spanish Culture Guide that You'll Ever Need

Spanish words and phrases that every Spanish learner should know

To be easier to find and learn, in this article, we’ve divided phrases into the main sections. In each chapter, you may find familiar and useful phrases.

1. Greetings

2. Introduction

3. Express Politeness

4. Small Talk

5. Special Occasions

6. Dealing with Problems

7. Question Words

8. Important Answers

9. Common Spanish Questions

10. Farewell

These phrases are suitable for starting a conversation with the natives. They can also be a starting point for further learning.

After reading and learning these Spanish words and phrases for beginners, you can also try some different methods, perhaps learning Spanish in a fun, amusing way.

Read more here: How to learn Spanish with games

Greetings  

Knowing to greet someone is the primary thing you should learn. 

We use greetings every day, so you will use them in Spanish conversations, too.

Spanish people can be very formal when talking about greetings, so this way you are showing them respect.

Greetings in Spanish are simple and easy to learn. Let’s take a look.

• ¡Hola!- Hello!

‘Hello!, or ‘Hi’ in English, this word is mainly used as an informal greeting among friends and younger people. Although it is widely used, we suggest using it after you get to know someone a bit. For formal salutations, see the phrases below.

• Buenos días- Good morning

• Buenas tardes - Good afternoon

• Buenas noches- Good evening/ Good night

• ¡Muy bienos!- this is a short version of all three greetings from the above, so that you can use it any time. 

• ¡Bienvenido!- Welcome!

Introduction  

When you want to introduce yourself, you can use the following phrases:

• Me llamo...- My name is...

• Mi nombre is...- My name is...

There is no such difference between these two phrases. The second one literally means ‘my name is’ in English, and the first one could be translated literally as ‘ they call me…’

• (Yo) Soy…- I’m…

You can choose a simple phrase by using the ‘Soy’ phrase. ‘ Holla, soy…, or in English, ‘Hello, I’m…’ and tells your name, you’ve saluted a person and introduced yourself at the same time.

• ¿Como te llamas?- What’s your name?

When you are talking to someone, especially for the first time, it is polite to ask for his name.

• Mucho gusto- Nice to meet you (literally, this phrase means ‘pleasure.’)

After greeting a person, telling your name, asking for his, you should say “Nice to meet you’ as per above.

• (Yo) tengo … anos- I’m … years old

Asking for age is not necessary. However, very often, a conversation can go in that direction, so it should be useful to memorize this phrase. It literally means ‘I have… years’ in English.

• (Yo) soy de…- I come from …

One of the most common phrases, especially for tourists. By learning this phrase, when a native speaker asks you to say something about yourself, you can say more than ‘Soy…’

Express Politeness 

Not just in learning Spanish, but in every other language, being polite is primary, and clearly indicates a further prosperous conversation. 

• ¡Gracias!- Thank you!

• ¡Muchas gracias!- Thank you very much

Number one phrase to express politeness. Whether you want to thank someone very much, or just to say ‘Thank you,’ always be polite.

• Por favor- Please

• ¡De nada!- You’re welcome

It literally means ‘from nothing, but you use it as the phrase ‘it’s nothing’ in English.’  It is used to respond to a thank you. 

• ¡Perdone!- Excuse me 

• ¡Perdone! ¡Disculpe!- Excuse me 

Differences between ‘Perdone’ and ‘Disculpe’ are not so hard to understand. 

‘Perdone’ literally means ‘Pardon,’ and it is used in situations when you ask for something. It is widely used in cases when people accidentally come across each other. ‘Disculpe’ is a more formal phrase than the other one.  It expresses shock or exclamations when someone says or does something. 

• ¡Disculpe!- Sorry!

• ¡Lo siento!- Sorry! 

This phrase in English has one similar one, ‘Sorry.’ In Spanish, when you are apologizing for making a mistake, you say ‘Lo siento.’ If, however, you want to be polite and ask something, then you should use the phrase ‘Disculpe.’

You can also watch the expressions this way: ‘Lo siento’ is the least formal, ‘Perdón’ a little more formal, and ‘Disculpe’ is the most formal among them.

Small Talk

Some common questions and answers people use in short talks can make your conversation sound polite, as well as entertaining. 

No matter if you aren’t native, these simple questions and appropriate answers can do a lot.

Questions

• ¿Cómo estás?- How are you? 

• ¿Qué tal?- How are you? 

The first phrase is formal, where you can use it in every situation to start a conversation. The second one is informal, and you can use it with friends and family members. It is parallel to the English phrase ‘What’s up?’

• Cómo te va?- How’s it going?

• Cómo te ha ido?- How have you been?