Most Common Spanish Phrases For Travelers [Survive South America]

Unlike the US schools, we do not have a Spanish course or learn any foreign language at schools in India, especially in the small town where I studied. I grew up studying Hindi, English, and Sanskrit. I took a French language course during college, but a few classes and a French certificate was the farthest my foreign language aptitude took me to. 

 When I landed in Chile to teach English, I couldn’t even speak a few simple Spanish words coherently. I started living with a Chilean host mother who took upon herself to teach me the common Spanish phrases and words so we could communicate. Thus began my struggle of learning to speak Spanish in Chile.

I didn’t know then that the Spanish language would become one of my favorites, and also my third language.

Without trying to be melodramatic, I promise that if you start speaking even the most basic Spanish travel phrases when you are backpacking in South America, you would fall in love with this language; for Spanish is a passionate dialect. Spanish words and phrases cover almost every emotion; some of the feelings that can be described eloquently in Spanish are strangled by the lack of words in other languages I speak.

Was Learning Spanish Easy?

Neither did I practice Spanish before traveling to South America nor did I remember to carry a copy of travel Spanish phrases for emergencies.

Learning Spanish in South America was challenging. Trying to comprehend the fast Chilean Spanish, remembering the common Spanish words, and recalling them to frame even the most basic Spanish sentences drained my energy and left me good for nothing almost every day.

That was when I started referring to a Spanish workbook, wrote down the key Spanish phrases for beginners that I came across daily, scribbled the Spanish pronunciation in Hindi and English phonetics, asked a lot of questions, and spoke Spanish relentlessly. My efforts to learn Spanish bore results. Within a few weeks, I started speaking Spanish fluently and even cracked jokes in it.

Must Read:  My story of learning Spanish in South America.

What is the aim behind this Common Spanish phrases for travelers guide?

When I returned to India after a nine-months-long South America solo trip, I started writing down the useful Spanish phrases that helped me survive in the continent. I had to help other travelers roaming around South America for I know how hard it gets if you can’t understand or speak at least some Spanish.

In this basic Spanish phrases guide, I have listed the everyday Spanish conversation phrases and the most important Spanish travel phrases you would need to make your way in the South-American countries. I have also provided the Spanish phrases in English, and with each phrase, I have written how to speak Spanish words (the ones involved) in English and Hindi phonetically. Otherwise, your pronunciation could be so wrong no one would understand you (speaking from experience).

I have also strewn around some insider tips throughout this list. I had to share my secrets (ahem treasure) from speaking Spanish for nine months, right?

The aim of this article is to provide you with a list of basic Spanish words and essential Spanish phrases at which you can rely on and refer to quickly on your trip. As you continue on your journey, you would even start remembering the phrases.

Related Read: Backpacker’s Guide to South America

Would these basic Spanish phrases also work in Spain?

The Latin-American Spanish is different from Castilian or Spain’s Spanish in pronunciation, vocabulary, and other nuances that I haven’t covered here as I don’t have much experience with the European version of the language. But my friends from Spain and Latin America told me that though the differences are visible, people from both areas can understand each other well. 

So feel free to carry this list to Spain as well.

What are Cognates?

Before you read this article you need to understand cognates.

Spanish and English share a lot of cognates or words that have the same root but are pronounced and spelled differently in the two languages.

For example, directions is dirrecciones in Spanish, perfect is perfecto, impatient is impaciente, invitation is invitación, much is mucho, and so on.

These cognates, which you will come across frequently in the simple Spanish phrases listed here, would help you translate the Spanish words to English and vice-versa on your own.

My students who couldn’t say how are you in English tried to impress me by putting a “tion” at the end of every Spanish word when I asked them to translate the Spanish phrases to English. Thus skirt (falda) became faldation; school (escuela) became escuelation, and please don’t ask me for more. 

Please don’t do the same, and instead, follow this guide to start speaking Spanish as soon as you land in South America.

You can also download the Spanish phrases pdf to bring it along on your trip. It is the same list but in a printable format. If at any point in your journey you start stuttering, you can show the Spanish phrase from the list to a local, and he or she would understand you.

But I know that you would never have to do that and you would start speaking at least the most used Spanish words by yourself.

Table of Content

To make the guide an easy read, I have divided the most important Spanish phrases for traveling into the following categories (click on any of the categories to jump straight to the required list):

1. Common Spanish Greetings
2. How to tell people that you don’t know Spanish (apart from shaking your head).
3. Introduction/Introducing yourself.
4. Common Questions in Spanish
5. Food and Drinks. Basic Spanish phrases to use at a restaurant
6. Miscellaneous But Absolutely Essential Spanish Phrases.
7. Directions and Addresses. Making your way and getting around.
8. Numbers.
9. Days of the week.
10. Money or La Plata(for Chile).
11. Emergency/Ask for help.

Disclaimer: If you are reading this article on your mobile and the tables aren’t displaying well, please switch to the landscape mode. Unfortunately, the tables aren’t integrated well with the mobile themes of WordPress, yet.

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Basic Spanish Greetings

English	Spanish Phrases for greetings	How to pronounce Spanish words in English phonetically	How to pronounce Spanish words in Hindi phonetically
Hello	Hola	O-la	ओ–ला
Good Morning	Buenos días	bwe-nos-dee-yas	ब्वेनोस–दीयास
Good afternoon	buenas tardes	bwe-nas tarr-des	बुएनास–तार्रदेस
Goodnight	Buenas noches	bwe-nas-no-ches	ब्वेनास–नोचेस
Thank you	Gracias	grah-sias	ग्रासियास
Thank you very much.	If someone has just given you directions when you were wondering why you went to South America, say, “muchas gracias.”	moo-chaas grah-sias	मूचास–ग्रासियास
You are welcome.	De nada.	day-na-da	दे–नादा
Goodbye	Adiós	aa-dee-os	आदीयोस
See you!	Nos vemos	nos-ve-mos	नोस–वेमोस
That all goes well with you. You can say this when someone takes your leave. (You would win hearts with this one.)	Que te vaya bien	k-te-vayya-bien	के–ते–वाइया–बियन
I love this Spanish phrase. It means to enjoy or get the full out of the opportunity – whatever you plan to do or wherever you are going. English or Hindi doesn’t have a phrase for a similar intention, but Latinos use it often. The phrase emphasizes their leave-the-worries-behind attitude.	Que Disfrutes	k-dis-fru-tes	के–दिस–फ़्रु–तेस

Though these are the main Spanish expressions used for greetings, some of the phrases would change as per the individual South-American country.

Insider tip 1 on how to pronounce Spanish words.

In Spanish, the h at the beginning of the word is silent.

Insider tip 2 on pronouncing Spanish words.

 The letter t is spoken very softly in Spanish, and its sound is similar to the sound of the letter (त) of Hindi. English doesn’t have a similar sound, and English speakers can speak it as softly as they can to sound closer to Latinos.

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How to tell people that you don’t know Spanish (apart from shaking your head)

English	Spanish Phrases for Travelers to express that they know limited Spanish	How to pronounce Spanish words in English phonetically	How to pronounce Spanish words in Hindi phonetically
I don’t understand!	No entiendo.	no en-tee-enn-do	नो एन–ति–येंदो
I speak little Spanish. Little, little. (Almost everyone would say this about your Spanish.)	Hablo un poco de español or just say, poco-poco.	aab-lo oon po-ko de ehs-pah-nyol	आबलो–उन–पोको–दे–एस–पा–नयोल
Please, speak a little slower. (Most of the Latin Americans speak fast.)	Por favor, hable más lente	por-fah-bor, aab-le maas len-te	पोर–फाबोर, आब–ले मास लेन–ते
Can you say that again?	Puede repetir.	pue-de-repe-teer	पुए–दे रे–पे–तीर
You speak Spanish? When someone asks you this, answer poco-poco.	Hablas español?	aab-las ehs-pah-nyol?	आब–लास एस–पा–नयोल?
Do you speak English? (informal)	Hablas inglés?	aab-las een-glehz?	आब–लास ईंग–लेज

And of course, if nothing works, act clueless, which you are. 

Insider Tip 3 on basic Spanish:

In the Spanish language, most of the things are either male or female. The male version of a word is changed into the female version by adding an “a” to the end of the noun, the pronoun, and the adjective, mostly. So vegetariano becomes vegetariana, soup or sopa is female(in Latin America) hence the a at the end, et cetera.

Even if you guess the gender wrong or speak incorrectly, you wouldn’t make a blunder as you are still learning Spanish or have just started speaking it. 

Tip 4 on Spanish articles:

Even the articles change as per the gender and the singularity of the noun. So while “el” is for the male versions, “la” is for females. As a learner of the language or as a tourist, you are perfectly okay even if you miss the articles.

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Introducing yourself  – Spanish Introduction Phrases

English	Common Spanish Phrases for Travelers to introduce themselves	How to pronounce Spanish words in English phonetically	How to pronounce Spanish words in Hindi phonetically
How are you?	cómo estás?	ko-mo es-taas	को–मो एस–तास
I am very good, thank you.	Muy bien, gracias	moo-ee bee-an, grah-sias	मुई–बियन, ग्रासियास
I am good. And you?	Estoy bien, y tú?	es-toy bee-an, eee tu?	एस–तोइ बियन, ई तू?
What is your name? (informal)	Cómo te llamas?	ko-mo te ya-mas?	कोमो – ते – जामास
What is your name? (formal)	Cómo se llama usted? or Cómo se llama would also work.	ko-mo say yaa-mas  oos-tehd?	कोमो – से  – जामास ऊस–तेद?
My name is ______: or say   I am ______:	Mi nombre es ______ or Yo soy ______।	mi nom-bray es __ or yo-soy	मि–नोम–ब्रे एस __ or जो सोई
It’s a pleasure to meet you	Mucho gusto.	moo-cho goos-to	मूचो–गूसतो
Where are you from?	De donde eres?	dey-don-de-er-es	दे–दोन्दे एर–एस?
I come from __	(Yo) soy de __	soy-dey __	सोई दे __
Nationality.	Nacionalidad	naa-seeyo-naa-li-daad	ना–सीयो–ना–लि–दाद
How old are you?	Qué edad tienes? Or cuántos años tienes?	kay ay-daad tee-yen-es? Or kwan-tos aan-yos tee-yen-es?	के–एदाद ति–येन–एस? Or क्वांतोस आनयोस ति–येन–एस?
I am __ years old.	Yo tengo __ años	yo ten-go __ aan-yos	जो तेन–गो __ आन–योस।
Do you have brothers or sisters?	Tienes hermanos o hermanas?	tee-yen-es er-maa-nos o er-maa-nas?	ति–येन–एस अरमानोस ओ अरमानास?
Where do you live? ( In case someone asks you or you want to ask someone)	Dónde vives? OR Donde te quedas?	don-dey vee-ves? Or don-dey te kay-daas?	दोन–दे वी–वेस? Or दोन–दे ते के–दास?
What is your address? In case you want to visit someone later or if you call the hotel for directions.	Cual es su direcciones? or just say su direcciones.	ku-aal es soo di-rek-sio-nes?	कु–आल एस सु दि–रेक–सीयो–नेस?
I Live in ___	En ___	en __	एन __

 

Insider Tip 5 on the two different forms of Spanish verbs for being:

Don’t get confused between soy and estoy — soy is the more permanent form of I am, such as soy un hombre(I am a man), soy vegetariano (I am vegetarian), soy de la India( I am from India).

Estoy is a more temporary form of I and signifies your current mood or action. Such as Estoy enfermo (I am sick), Estoy cansado (I am tired). 

Insider Tip 6 on framing simple Spanish sentences:

You can ignore the I or “Yo” while speaking. In Spanish, every verb changes as per the person and gender and singularity. So the noun is redundant in informal conversations, and most of the people I talked to in South America didn’t say “Yo.”

Tip 7 for using the correct Spanish words for an elder or for respect:

You can refer to the other person with a “tú” or an “usted.”  Tú is for people of your age or for informal conversations amongst friends and people you meet. But if you want to show respect, use usted.

Of course, as you are a traveler no one would mind if you refer to them with tú all the time. But if you are trying to learn advanced Spanish, you should use both the forms. For this article, I use tú whenever the second person comes into the picture. 

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Basic Spanish Questions

English	Simple Spanish questions	How to pronounce Spanish words in English phonetically	How to pronounce Spanish words in Hindi phonetically
Who?	Quién	kee-yen?	की–एन?
What?	Qué?	kay?	के?
Where is __?	Dónde está __?	don-de es-ta?	दोन–दे एस–ता?
When?	Cuándo?	koo-aan-do?	क्वान–दो?
When/what time?	A qué hora?	a kay oraa?	आ–के–ओरा?
Why?	Por qué?	por kay?	पोर–के?
How?	Cómo?	ko-mo?	को–मो?
How much?	Cuánto?	koo-aan-to?	कुआंतो?
How much does it cost?	Cuánto cuesta __?	koo-aan-to kwes-taa?	कुआंतो कवेस्ता?
How many?	Cuántos?	koo-aan-tos?	कुआंतोस?
How often?	Cada cuánto?	kaa-daa—koo-aan-to?	का–दा कुआंतो?
How long?	Por cuánto tiempo?	Por koo-aan-to tee-yem-po?	पोर कुआंतो ती–येम–पो?
What is this?	Qué es esto?	kay es es-toh?	के एस एसतो?

Tip 8 on one of the most common phrases in Spanish:

I don’t like – no me gusta. South Americans are expressive, and you would notice them talking about their likes and dislikes often. While traveling in Latin America, you would also have to speak about your choices frequently.

And if Latinos say that they don’t like something, respect that, for they appreciate it. And if you tell them that you don’t want or adore a particular thing or food, they would remember your preference. See how my Chilean friends were cooking vegetarian food and chicken for me at the Chile independence day when I told them I didn’t eat beef.

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Food and Drinks. Useful Spanish phrases and words for travelers to use at a restaurant

Tip 9 on common Spanish verbs:

As I said above, Spanish verbs changes with the person, gender, and plurality of the noun. If the correct verb form is written in the sentence, you can understand how many people, which person (1st,2nd, or 3rd), and which gender is doing the action. Except when the noun is made up of a mixed group in which case you can assume the subjects to be male unless mentioned.

Tip 10 on one of the most common Spanish travel phrases:

The verb for want is “querer.”  So you can say, “Yo quiero(verb form for I) un te.” I want one tea. You will need to say quiero many times while traveling, so please remember it.  

English	Restaurant Phrases in Spanish	How to pronounce Spanish words in English phonetically	How to pronounce Spanish words in Hindi phonetically
One table for 2 please.	una mesa para dos, por favor.	oona-me-ja paara dos, por faa-bor	ऊना मेज़ा पारा दोस्, पोर–फाबोर
Do you have a menu?	Tiene un menú / carta?	tee-yen-ay oon menu/caar-ta?	ति–येन–ए उन मेनू/कारता?
To share	Para compartir	pa-ra com-paar-tir	पा–रा कोम–पार–तीर
Food	Comida	ko-mee-dah	को–मी–दा
A drink, please.	una bebida, por favor	oo-na beh-bee-da	ऊना बे–बी–दा
A beer or two beer, please.	Una cerveza/dos cervezas, por favor.	oo-na sir-ve-ja/dos sir-ve-jaas, por faa-bor	ऊना सर्वेज़ा, दोस् सर्वेज़ास, पोर फाबोर
A glass of red or white wine	un vino tinto/blanco.	oon vee-no tin-toh / blan-koh	उन वीनो तिनतो/ब्लान–को
Water	agua	aa-gwaah	आ–गुआह
coffee/tea	un café/una te	oon ka-fay/oona tay	उन का–फ़े/ऊना ते
Coffee with milk, please	Café con leche por favor	ka-fay con lay-lay-chay por-faa-bor	का–फ़े क़ोन लेचे, पोर फाबोर
Do you have something vegetarian to eat? Or do you have something without meat?	Tienes comida vegetariana? o tienes algo sin carne?	tee-yen-es ko-mee-da ve-he-ta-ree-ya-na? Or tee-yen-es aal-go syn car-nay	ति–येन–एस कोमिदा वे–हे–ता–री–याना? or आल–गो सिन कारने?
I am vegetarian.	(Yo) soy Vegetariano.	soy ve-he-ta-ree-aa-no	सो–ए वे–हे–ता–रि–या–नो
I have an allergy to nuts	Tengo alergia a las nueces	Ten-go al-er-khee-ah a las noo-eh-ses	तेंगो ऐल–एर–खी–आह आ लोस नुए–सेस
breakfast	Desayuno	des-aa-you-no	दे–सा–यू–नो
Lunch	Almuerzo	al-moor-zo	अल–मुअर–जो
Dinner	la cena	la say-na	ला से–ना
Supper or a light and earlier version of dinner which might completely replace dinner.	Once	on-say	ओन–से
soup	una sopa	oo-na so-paa	ऊ–ना सो–पा
salad	una ensalada	oo-na en-sa-la-da	ऊना एन–से–ला–दा
an appetizer	una entrada	oo-na en-tra-da	ऊना एँत्रा–दा
a main dish	un plato principal	oon pla-to prin-see-pal	उन प्लातो–प्रिंसीपाल
a dessert	un postre	oon pos-tray	उन पोस्त्रे
The meat (beef) – If nothing else is mentioned, carne is beef in South America.	la carne or Carne de vaca	la car-nay Or car-nay de vaa-caa	ला कारने Or कारने–दे–वाका
chicken	el pollo	el poy-oh	एल पोय्यो
Fish	el-pescado	el pes-kaado	एल पेस–कादो
Eggs	Huevos	huay-voz	हुए–वोज़
Cheese	Queso	kay-so	कै–सों
Bread	El pan	el paan	एल–पान
Rice	Arroz	are-roz	आर–रोज़
Enjoy (bon Appetite)	Buen Provecho	boo-en pro-vay-cho	बुएन प्रोवेचो
It was really tasty.	Estuvo muy rico.	es-tu-vo moo-yee ree-ko	एस–तू–वो मूयी री–को
Where is the bathroom?	Dónde está el baño?	don-day es-tah el baan-yo	दोन–दे एस–ताह एल बाण–यो
The bill, please	La cuenta, por favor.	la coen-tah por-faabor	ला कुएँता, पोर फाबोर

Tip 11 on Spanish pronunciation:

South Americans roll the tongue while speaking r. But that is not true always. Let us skip the rolling r rule for this document. Maybe I will cover it later in another list of advanced Spanish phrases for travel. 

Tip 12 on how to speak Spanish:

Latinos pronounce the v as b sometimes. And if you live there enough, you would also start saying it the same way. 

Tip 13 on how to say the common travel phrases in Spanish without feeling the burden:

Saying a full Spanish sentence or the entire question or the phrase would be confusing in the beginning. You can just say the main words such as the nouns and the action while ignoring the articles, correct verb form, et cetera. People would understand. For example, instead of asking someone if they can click your photo, say one photo, please. (una photo, por favor)

Tip 14 on Spanish pronunciation:

In Spanish, j is pronounced as h. So tarjeta (card) would be spoken as tar-heta. This might help you at the metro and bus stations.

Tip 15 on some crucial Spanish words to know:

“Puedo” means can. Use generously. “I can” becomes “Yo puedo” or simply “puedo.” Remember that you can delete the “yo.” 

Tip 16 on basic Spanish grammar rules: 

In Spanish, you don’t say I am these many years old or I am sick. You say I have these many years or I have sickness. So you use the verb tener (to have) to show the possession. The I form of the verb is Tengo. Remember this one if you are looking to improve your Spanish. 

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Miscellaneous But important Everyday Spanish Phrases for Travelling

English	Miscellaneous Common Spanish phrases for travel	How to pronounce Spanish words in English phonetically	How to pronounce Spanish words in Hindi phonetically
Yes	Sí	see	सी
No	No	no	नो
Please	Por favor	por-fah-bor	पोर–फाबोर
Excuse me (getting attention)	Disculpe	dees-cool-peh	दिज–कुल–पे
Excuse me (begging pardon)	Perdón	perr-don	पेर्र–दोन
I’m sorry	Lo siento/perdón	lo see-yen-toh/perr-don	लो–सीयेंतो/पेर्र–दोन
Toilet/Bathrooms:	Servicios/Baños	baan-nyos	बाण–न्योस
Men	Hombres / Caballeros	om-brays/ka-bah-yeh-roz	ओमब्रेस–क़ाबाजेरोस
women	Mujeres	moo-heh-rehs	मुहेरेस
How to say in Spanish? You can hold a cheese slice in your hand and say this phrase and they would tell you what is the Spanish word.	Como se dice en español?	ko-mo say-dee-say en ehs-paa-nyol?	कोमो से दिसे एन एसपानयोल?
Me too or also/ the same	también / lo mismo	taam-bee-yen/lo meez-mo	ताम–बी–एन/ लो मीसमो
neither	tampoco	taam-poko	ताम–पोको
Much.	Mucho	moo-choh	मूचो
This is way of saying excuse me in Spanish. Even after weeks of returning back to India, I kept saying permiso. You can say this while leaving a dinner table to get water, or while leaving altogether. You can say this if you want to move and the people are not getting out of your way. You can say this if you want to keep a glass near the sink but someone is hell-bent on washing all the utensils.	Permiso	per-mee-so	परमिसो
Always	Siempre	see-ehm-prey	सीएम्प्रे
Never	Nunca	noon-kah	नुन–का
Do you understand?	Entiende?	en-tee-en-day	एन–तीयेन–दे?
Card.	Tarjeta	tar-he-tah	तार–हेता
Can I pay?	Puedo pagar?	pweh-doh pa-gaar	पुएदो पगार?
Email.	Correo electrónico	koreo elek-tro-neeco	कोरियो इलेक–त्रो–नीको
I am hungry.	Tengo Hambre	ten-go aam-brey	तेन–गो आम–ब्रे
Travel.	Viajar.	vee-yaa-khar	व्या–खार
Do you have a room?	Tiene un espacio o pieza ?	tee-yen-ey oon es-pa-see-yo o pee-yeh-sa?	ती–येन–ए उन एसपासीयो ओ पीयेसा?
I  have a reservation.	Tengo una reservación.	ten-go oo-na ree-sir-vaa-see-yon	तेंगो ऊना रीज़र–वा–सीयोन
Is breakfast included?	El desayuno esta incluído?	el deh-sah-yu-no es-tah in-clu-ee-do?	एल दे–सा–यूनो एस्ता इन–क्लुई–दो?
Do you need my passport?	Necesita(s) mi pasaporte?	neh-seh-seeta mea paa-sa-por-teh?	नेसेसीता मी पासा–पोरते?
Do you accept photocopies?	Aceptan fotocopias?	acep-tan foto-copy-aas?	एक्सेप्तान फोतो–कोपीयास?
One photo. If you want someone to click your photo.	Un foto, por favor.	oon fo-to, por faabor	उन फोतो, पोर फाबोर
No idea	Ni idea	Nee ee-day-yah	नी इदेयाह
What does __ mean?	Qué significa __?	kay sig-nif-ee -ka?	के सिग्निफ़िका?
Help me, please.	Ayuda me, por favor.	ayu-dah, por faa-bor	आज़ुदा में, पोर फाबोर
wifi?	wifi?	vee-fee	वि–फ़ि
What is the password?	¿Cual es la contraseña?	kwal es la con-tra-sen-ya?	क्वाल एस ला कोंत्रा–सेनया?
Do you know (any question)?	Sabe (the question)?	saa-beh ___?	सा–बे __?
tomorrow.	Mañana	mann-yaa-naa	मनयाना
Yesterday	Ayer	ayee-yir	अय्यर
Will wait for you	Te espero	tay es-pero	ते एस्पेरो
to sign.	Firmar	fir-maar	फिरमार
Where can I buy?	Donde puedo comprar?	don-day pueh-push-doh com-pra-aar	दोन्दे पुएदो कोमपरार?
Where is the cash machine?	¿Dónde está el cajero automático?	don-day es-tah el caa-khe-roh auto-maa-tico?	दोन्दे एस्ता एल काखेरो औतोमातिको?
Is it possible __?	Es posible __?	es poh-seeb-leh?	एस पोसीबले?
Both	Ambos or say los dos.	aam-bos, los dos	आमबोस, लोस दोस्
but	Pero	peh-roh	पेर्रो
Before.	Antes	aan-tes	आन–तेस
That’s very expensive	Es muy caro	es moo-yee caar -roh	एस मूयी कार्रो
We paid	Pagemos.	paa-gay-mos	पा–गे–मोस
The guide- If you are on a trek, this might be handy.	La guía	la-gee-yaah	ला–गीया
Passport	Pasaporte.	paa-sa-por-teh	पासा–पोरते
Information	Información	in-for-maa-see-yon	इन–फ़ोर–मा–सी–योन
Immediately. In case you are about to miss your bus because the waitress decided to flirt with the waiter and isn’t giving you the bill.	Al tiro.	al-teeh-roh	अल–तीरो
This is one of the slang Spanish phrases. It means sure, okay, yeah. It could mean a lot of things and people keep saying claro in between a conversation. It is more like sure.	Claro	klah-roh	क्लारो
Do you need anything else? You might be asked this at a departmental store or in a restaurant.	Quieres algún mas?	kyeh-reh al-goon maas?	कियेरेन आलगुन मास?
Equally. This is a useful phrase. South Americans are very generous in their greetings, and they wish many things when someone leaves. Take care, nice to meet you, sweet dreams, I enjoyed the food, et cetera. And if you are still a novice at Spanish, which I am guessing you are as you are reading this article, say igualmente and save yourself. They would understand that you took an effort to learn an easy word, and make conversation.	Igualmente	igg-yual-men-teh	इगुआलमेंते

Tip 17 on the alphabet sounds in Spanish:

The d in Spanish is pronounced very softly. Again, English doesn’t have a similar sound, but Hindi does (द). So to be closer to sound like the South-Americans, speak the d as softly as you can. 

Tip 18 on Spanish pronunciation:

The ll is neither pronounced as l nor as y in Spanish (unlike a widespread belief amongst travelers). Hindi captures the sound of the ll in a single alphabet, but English doesn’t have a similar sound. That is why in the English phonetics I have written y in place of ll, for that is the closest I could come to replicating the ll sound with an English alphabet.  

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Directions and Addresses – Making your way and getting around Traveling Phrases

English	Basic Spanish Phrases for Travel	How to pronounce Spanish words in English phonetically	How to pronounce Spanish words in Hindi phonetically
Left	Izquierda	eez-kyeer-dah	इज–कीयरदा
Right	Derecha	day-reh-chah	देरेचा
Straight ahead	Derecho	de-re-cho	देरेचो
Bus station	Estación de bus	es-tah-see-on deh boos	एसतासीयोंन दे बुस
Train station	Estación de tren	es-tah-see-on deh tren	एसतासीयोंन दे त्रेन
Airport	Aeropuerto	airo-pwer-toh	ऐरो–पुअर–तो
Entrance	Entrada	en-trah-dah	एन–त्रा–दा
Exit	Salida	sah-lee-dah	सा–ली–दा
here	Aqui	Ah-kee	अकी
there	Allí	ay-ee	अयी
at the corner	En la esquina	en la es-kee-nah	एन ला एस–कीना
in one, two, three blocks	En una, dos, tres cuadra	en oo-naa, dos, tres kwah-dra	एन ऊना,दोस्,त्रेस कुआदरा
Where is ___ street?	la calle ___?	la ka-yeh	ला काय्ये
Where can I get a taxi? Or a bus or micro? The small, local buses are called micros in some countries.	Dónde puedo encontrar un taxi? o un bus o micro?	don-day pueh-doh en-kon-trar un taxi?o un boos o meec-ro?	दोन्दे पुएदो एंकोंत्रार उन तेकसी? ओ उन बुस ओ मीकरो?
Please take me here	Por favor, lléveme a esta direcccion	por faa-bor, yeh-ve-meh a es-tah direk-see-yon	पोर फाबोर, जेवेमे आ एस्ता दिरेक–सीयोन?
Do I have to change buses/planes?	Tengo que cambiar el  bús/avión?	ten-go kay kaam-bee-yar el boos o aa-vee-yon?	तेंगो के काम–बीयार एल बुस ओ आ–वीयोन?
How much does a ticket to __ cost?	Cuánto cuesta un boleto para __ ?	koo-aan-to kwes-ta oon bo-le-to pa-ra __?	कुआंतो कवेस्ता उन बोलेते पारा __?
nearest	mas cercano	maas sir-kaano	मास सर–कानो

 

Tip 19 on everyday Spanish basic phrases:

Remember the phrase or question “Dónde esta” when it comes to moving around. It means where is, and you would need it often. 

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Numbers in Spanish

English	Numbers in Spanish	How to pronounce numbers in English phonetically	How to pronounce numbers in Hindi phonetically
1	Unos	oo-nos	उनोस
2	Dos	dos	दोस्
3	tres	treh-es	त्रेस
4	Cuatro	kuat-ro	कुआत्रो
5	Cinco	syn-ko	सिंको
6	Seis	se-eis	सैस
7	Siete	see-yeh-teh	सी–ये–ते
8	Ocho	oh-choh	ओचो
9	Nueve	noo-yeh-veh	नुएवेह
10	Diez	dee-yez	दीएज
20	Veinte	veh-en-tay	वेन्ते
30	treinta	tre-en-tah	त्रेणता
40	Cuarenta	kuah-ran-taah	क़ुआ–रेनता
50	Cincuenta	syn-koo-en-taah	सिन–कुएन–ता
60	Sesenta	seh-sen-taah	से–सेन–ता
70	Setenta	seh-ten-taah	से–तेन–ता
80	Ochenta	o-chan-taah	ओ–चेन–ता
90	Noventa	no-ven-taah	नो–वेन–ता
100	Cien	see-yen	सि–येन
1000	Mil	meel	मील

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Days of the week in Spanish

English	Days in Spanish	How to pronounce days in English phonetically	How to pronounce days in Hindi phonetically
Monday	Lunes	loo-ness	लू–नेस
Tuesday	Martes	mar-tehs	मार–तेस
Wednesday	Miércoles	mee-err-ko-less	मि–अर–को–लेस
Thursday	Jueves	hue-ves	हुए–वेस
Friday	Viernes	bee-err-ness	बीयर–नेस
Saturday	Sábado	sah-bah-do	सा–बा–दो
Sunday	Domingo	doh-min-goh	दो–मिन–गो

Tip 20 on days, weeks, and years in Spanish:

In Spanish, day is día (dee-ya), months is meses (meh-ses), weeks is semanas (seh-maa-nas), and year is año (aan-yo).

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Money or La Plata (for Chile, as currency changes as per the country when you travel in Latin America)

English	Chilean Currency in Spanish	How to pronounce days in English phonetically	How to pronounce days in Hindi phonetically
A thousand Chilean pesos.	Un mil o mil peso	oon-mil o mil pee-soh	उन मिल ओ मिल पीसो
two thousand	dos mil	dos mil	दोस् मिल
And so on and so forth.

Tip 21 on English to Spanish phrase translation:

As I said above, Spanish and English share a lot of cognates or words with the same roots. And to translate some English words into Spanish, you can attempt a hit and trial method. 

For example, perfect becomes perfecto in Spanish. Direction becomes dirección. Many other words can be suffixed with a cción to get their Spanish versions. 

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Emergency/Ask for help – Spanish Common phrases that will save you

English	Latin-American Spanish Phrases for Travelers	How to pronounce days in English phonetically	How to pronounce days in Hindi phonetically
Help, please	Ayuda, por favor.	aa-yuh-dah, por faabor	आयुदा, पोर–फाबोर
I have a problem	Tengo una Problema.	ten-go oon-prob-leh-mah	तेंगो उना प्रोब–लेमा
I need a doctor	Necesito un doctor	neh-seh-see-toh uhn dok-tohr	नेसेसितो उन दोकतोर
I don’t feel well	No me siento bien / Me siento mal	no meh see-yen-toh bee-y en	नो मैं सिएँतो बियेन
Call the police	Llama a la paolicia	jah-mah ah lah poh-lee-see-ah	जामा आ ला पोलिसीया
Fire	Fuego	phweh-goh	फुएगो
I am lost	Estoy perdido	es-toy per-dee-doh	एस–तोय पर–दीदो

Tip 22 on colloquial Spanish phrases (read Chilean Slang):

Do you want to surprise Chileans? When they speak to you, say cachai (keh-chaa-ee or क-चा-ई) in between conversation. Cachai means you see, you see what I am saying, or do you get it. I can tell you that they would not only be surprised but might just fall in love with you. Such phrases or slang exists in all Latin-American countries, and you would be surprised by the frequency with which Latinos use the slang.

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Some important Spanish sentences for beginners. Quick references.

• How do you say how are you in Spanish?

cómo estás?

ko-mo es-taas

को–मो एस–तास

• How to say good morning in Spanish?

Buenos días

bwe-nos-dee-yas

ब्वेनोस–दीयास

• How to say excuse me in Spanish?

Excuse me (getting attention)

Disculpe

dees-cool-peh

दिज–कुल–पे

• How do you say where are you from in Spanish?

Where are you from?

De donde eres?

dey-don-de-er-es

दे–दोन्दे एर–एस?

• How to say how old are you in Spanish?

How old are you?

Qué edad tienes? Or cuántos años tienes?

kay ay-daad tee-yen-es? Or kwan-tos aan-yos tee-yen-es?

के–एदाद ति–येन–एस? Or क्वांतोस आनयोस ति–येन–एस?

• How do you say a heartfelt thank you in Spanish?

Spanish word for thank you is gracias.

Thank you very much.

If someone has just given you directions when you were wondering why you went to South America, say, “muchas gracias.”

moo-chaas grah-sias

मूचास–ग्रासियास

• How do you say thank you sir in Spanish?

Gracias, Señor.

• How to say South America in Spanish?

Sudamerica.

• How to say Spanish in Spanish?

Spanish is Español.

• How to say sentence in Spanish?

Frase.

• How to say words in Spanish?

Palabras.

Hope this list of Spanish phrases that I have collected by remembering my most daunting, challenging, and exhilarating Spanish conversations help you on your South-American journey!

Download this list of useful Spanish phrases, and have fun.

Follow Up Reads

If you are traveling in South America or in any other parts of the world and want to learn a new language – How to learn a new language by yourself.

If you are traveling in Chile – My comprehensive travel guide to backpacking Chile

Traveling in Bolivia – Experiential travel guide to Bolivia

Traveling in Peru – A detailed Backpack Peru guide

 

If I have made a mistake in the spellings or pronunciations, please let me know. Do you have some other conversational Spanish phrases for travelers to add to the list? Do leave them in a comment. Hope this helped.

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