Spanish Phrases for Travelers

Learning a few Spanish phrases for travelers is an essential part of planning any trip to Mexico, Spain, or South America. Not only can you order at restaurants and find the rest room, but you can get to know the people who live in the cities you're visiting. Knowing that you took the time and effort to learn a little of their language goes a long way to easing relations between residents and tourists. Besides, even being able to use a few words and phrases allows visitors to communicate and share ideas with people of a different culture.

Learn a Few Spanish Phrases for a Better Trip.

You’ll find that many words in Spanish are familiar. Spanish, like French, has Latin as its base, and many English words are also derived from Latin.

Pronunciation Many letters are pronounced the same in Spanish as they are in English. A few exceptions are:

i is pronounced like ee in beet
u is pronounced like oo in loot
y is pronounced like ea in eat
llis pronounced like y in kayak

Also, the "h" in Spanish is silent.

In Mexico and Spain, it’s considered good manners to greet a shopkeeper when entering a store and to thank them when leaving. It’s also polite to greet the hotel front desk personnel and the hostess in a restaurant when you arrive. Use the following:

Buenos Dias (bway-nos dee-ahs) – Good morning, Good day
Buenas Tardes (bway-nahs tar-dehs) – Good afternoon
Buenes Noches (bway-nehs no-chehs) – Good evening
por favor (por fah-vohr) – Please
gracias (grahs-see-ahs) – Thanks

At the Table:
la carta (Kahr-ta) – the menu
un vaso (VAH-soh) – glass
un tenedor (teh-neh-DOHR) - fork
un cuchillo (koo CHEE yoh) - knife
una servilleta (sehr-vee-YEH-tah) – napkin
una chuchara (koo-CHAH-rah) – spoon

Beverages:
cerveza (cehr – veh-seh) – beer
vino (VEE-no) - wine
bebida (beh-bee-dah) – drink
agua (aug-gwa) – water
café (kah-FEH) – coffee
'te (teh) - tea

Food:
queso (KAY-so) – cheese
pescado y marisco (pehs-KAH-doh ee mah-REES-kohs) – fish and seafood
pollo (POH-yoh) - chicken
carne (KAHR-neh) – meat
cordero (kohr-DEH-roh – lamb
vegetales (veh-HEH-tah-lehs) – vegetables
habas or frijoles (AH-bahs or free-HOH-lehs) – beans
fruta (FROO-tahs) – fruit
pan (pahn) – bread

Condiments:
mantequilla (man-teh-key-ah) – butter
la sal (sahl) – salt
la pimienta (pee-MYEHN-tah) – pepper
el azucar' (ah-SOO-kahr) – sugar
el vinaigre (veen-egg-reh) - vinegar
limon (lee-moan) – lemon

Below are Spanish phrases you will see posted all over Mexico and Spain. Keep these in mind to better understand public notices.

no fumar – No Smoking
entrada – Entrance
salida – Exit
informacion – Information
venta - Sales (as in stores with price reductions)
tirar - Pull
senores - Gentlemen
mujeres – Ladies
atencion - Caution

Use a few Spanish phrases for travelers to get the most out of your Mexican or Spain vacation. Have fun with it and reap the benefits of sharing your ideas with people from another country.

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