100 Essential Spanish Phrases You Must Know Before Your Trip

Planning a trip to a Spanish-speaking country? Whether you’re exploring the vibrant streets of Barcelona, lounging on Mexico’s pristine beaches, or trekking through the Andes in Peru, knowing basic Spanish phrases will transform your travel experience. This guide covers 100 essential Spanish phrases that will help you navigate everything from ordering tapas to finding your hotel.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover six key categories of phrases you’ll need.

Essential Social Phrases: Master the basics of greeting people and handling everyday interactions
Transportation Phrases: Learn how to navigate airports, taxis, and public transport with ease
Accommodation Phrases: Everything you need for checking in, making requests, and solving common hotel problems
Food & Dining Phrases: From ordering food to explaining dietary restrictions
Shopping & Money Phrases: Handle transactions and find what you need in stores
Emergency & Health Phrases: Critical phrases for getting help when you need it most

Before We Begin: Quick Spanish Pronunciation Guide

Before diving into our phrases, let’s cover some basic pronunciation rules that will help you sound more natural:

ñ sounds like the gn in lasagna
ll sounds like the y in yes
j sounds like the h in hat
Single r is tapped like dd in ladder, while double rr is rolled
Vowels are always pronounced the same way: a (ah), e (eh), i (ee), o (oh), u (oo)

Boost Your Recall: Access audio pronunciations, word origins, and pro tricks for every linked term below to fast-track your learning!

Two women having a conversation in a cafe.

These are your go-to phrases for basic interactions. Master these, and you’ll be able to handle most casual social situations with confidence.

Greetings and Basics

Hola = Hello
Adiós = Goodbye
Buenos días = Good morning
Buenas tardes = Good afternoon
Buenas noches = Good evening
Perdón = Excuse me
Por favor = Please
Gracias = Thank you
De nada = You’re welcome
Lo siento = I’m sorry
Sí = Yes
No = No
Tal vez = Maybe

Introducing Yourself

¿Cómo te llamas? = What is your name?
Me llamo… = My name is…
Mucho gusto = Nice to meet you
¿Cómo estás? = How are you?
Bien, gracias = Fine, thank you
¿De dónde eres? = Where are you from?
Soy de… = I’m from…
No entiendo = I don’t understand
¿Puedes repetir, por favor? = Can you repeat that, please?
¿Hablas inglés? = Do you speak English?
Un poco = A little

2. Transportation Phrases

Getting around is crucial, and these phrases will help you navigate any transportation situation.

Getting Directions

¿Dónde está…? = Where is…?
¿Cómo llego a…? = How do I get to…?
A la derecha = To the right
A la izquierda = To the left
Todo recto = Straight ahead
El baño = The bathroom
La estación = The station
El autobús = The bus
El aeropuerto = The airport

Taking Transportation

Un billete, por favor = One ticket, please
¿A qué hora sale? = What time does it leave?
Taxi, por favor = Taxi, please
Lléveme a… = Take me to…
¿Está lejos? = Is it far?
Pare aquí = Stop here

3. Accommodation Phrases

Checking into your hotel or dealing with accommodation issues requires specific vocabulary. These phrases will help ensure a comfortable stay.

Check-in and Basic Requests

¿Hay habitaciones disponibles? = Are there rooms available?
¿Cuál es la contraseña de WiFi? = What’s the WiFi password?
¿A qué hora sirven el desayuno? = What time is breakfast served?
¿A qué hora es el check-out? = What time is check-out?
Necesito más toallas = I need more towels
Una almohada = A pillow
Una manta = A blanket
Más champú = More shampoo
La llave, por favor = The key, please

Room Problems

El aire acondicionado no funciona = The air conditioning isn’t working
La ducha está fría = The shower is cold
Hay un problema con… = There’s a problem with…
¿Puede ayudarme? = Can you help me?

4. Food & Dining Phrases

Food is one of the best parts of traveling! These phrases will help you order with confidence and handle dining situations.

Restaurant Arrival & Seating

Tengo una reserva = I have a reservation
Una mesa para dos, por favor = A table for two, please
La carta, por favor = The menu, please
La cuenta, por favor = The bill, please

Ordering & Describing Your Meal

¿Qué me recomienda? = What do you recommend?
Para empezar… = To start…
Quisiera… = I would like…
Desayuno = Breakfast
Almuerzo = Lunch
Cena = Dinner
La comida = The food
La bebida = The drink
Salud = Cheers
Delicioso = Delicious
Caliente = Hot
Frío = Cold
Muy picante = Very spicy
Salado = Salty

Dietary Requirements

Soy vegetariano/a = I’m vegetarian
Soy vegano/a = I’m vegan
Soy alérgico/a a… = I’m allergic to…
Sin… = Without…
¿Tiene…? = Do you have…?
No como… = I don’t eat…
Agua con/sin gas = Water with/without bubbles

5. Shopping & Money Phrases

Whether you’re souvenir shopping or buying necessities, these phrases will help you handle any transaction.

Shopping Basics

¿Cuánto cuesta? = How much does it cost?
¿Tiene otro color? = Do you have another color?
¿Tiene una talla más grande/pequeña? = Do you have a bigger/smaller size?
¿Puedo probármelo? = Can I try it on?
Es demasiado caro = It’s too expensive
¿Puede hacerme un descuento? = Can you give me a discount?
Me lo llevo = I’ll take it

Money and Payment

¿Aceptan tarjetas de crédito? = Do you accept credit cards?
¿Hay un cajero automático? = Is there an ATM?
El cambio, por favor = The change, please
¿Puede darme un recibo? = Can you give me a receipt?

6. Emergency & Health Phrases

While we hope you won’t need these, it’s essential to know some basic emergency phrases.

Police and Safety

Necesito ayuda = I need help
¿Puede llamar a la policía? = Can you call the police?
Perdí mi… = I lost my…
Mi bolso fue robado = My bag was stolen
El pasaporte = The passport

Medical Needs

Necesito un médico = I need a doctor
No me siento bien = I don’t feel well
Me duele… = My… hurts
¿Dónde está el hospital? = Where is the hospital?
¿Hay una farmacia cerca? = Is there a pharmacy nearby?
Es una emergencia = It’s an emergency
Llame a una ambulancia = Call an ambulance

Practical Tips For Your Spanish Travel Toolkit

These 100 phrases will give you a solid foundation for traveling in Spanish-speaking countries. Remember, you don’t need to be fluent to have meaningful interactions – even basic Spanish will enhance your travel experience and help you connect with locals.

To make the most of these phrases:

Start with greetings: Simple words like “hola” or “gracias” show respect and set a positive tone.
Practice pronunciation: A little prep goes a long way in being understood.
Save emergency phrases: Keep key terms on your phone for quick access.
Embrace mistakes: Locals appreciate the effort, so don’t let fear hold you back!
Note regional variations: While these phrases are widely understood, stay open to local slang or dialects.

Pro Tip: Bookmark our Spanish-to-English dictionary for instant translations, audio pronunciations, and regional variations. Perfect for checking phrases on the go!

¡Buen viaje! (Have a good trip!)