How do you say everyday phrases in Spanish?

Here are the twelve, each with its short answer; open a page for the variants, the recordings and the common mistakes.

Which Spanish phrases should you learn first?

Learn a greeting, por favor, gracias, perdón and No entiendo first: with those five you can be polite and ask for help in any situation.

  • holaUnit 1

    hi; hello (The h is silent.)

  • por favorUnit 2

    please

  • graciasUnit 1

    thank you (A tapped r right after the g.)

  • perdónUnit 2

    sorry; excuse me (after bumping into someone, or to get attention)

  • No entiendo.Unit 5

    I don't understand.

Should you use tú or usted with these phrases?

Use usted with strangers, older people and anyone serving you, and tú with friends and people your age. It changes a few words: ¿Cómo está? vs ¿Cómo estás?, disculpe vs disculpa.

How can you practice saying it out loud?

Say it to someone who answers. In CiaoSpeak's Spanish course, set in Mexico City, the lessons teach every phrase on this page with a recording and a note on when to use it, and in the Speak tab a character in a real scene (a barista, a taxi driver, your language-exchange partner Ana) talks to you and you answer out loud. The app tells you whether a person would understand you, with one gentle fix if not. Lessons are free; in the Speak tab, today's questions (up to five a day) are free too, and CiaoSpeak+ adds practice in any scene whenever you like. More phrases: how to say everyday things in Spanish.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most useful Spanish phrases for beginners?

Hola (hello), por favor (please), gracias (thank you), perdón (sorry), No entiendo (I don't understand) and ¿Dónde está el baño? (where is the bathroom?). With those, you can be polite and ask for help.

Is the Spanish on these pages Mexican or from Spain?

Latin American, as spoken in Mexico City. Almost everything here is understood everywhere; where Mexico and Spain differ (baño or servicio, for example), the page says so.