About 10% of the world's population speaks Spanish. Perhaps that is the only reason why you should think about learning this language. If you want to learn Spanish, take your time and start with common phrases. Once you feel more confident after homework, you can expand your knowledge by immersing yourself in a language environment or by enrolling in special lessons or courses. This will help you deepen your skills and become fluent in the language.

Steps

Learning common phrases

Introduce yourself. The greeting is the easiest to remember. It will allow you to not only get to know the language better, but also give you the opportunity to communicate with other people in Spanish.

• Hola(Oh-la) is "hello" in Spanish. Even if you know Spanish very poorly, most likely you have already heard this word and understand it. But there are other greetings, such as buenos dias(buEN-os DI-az), which means "good morning", or buenos nights(buen-os NO-ches), which means "good evening".
• After greeting, you can learn "¿Cómo estás?" (KO-mo es-TAS), which means "How are you?". This can be answered estoy bien(ES-toi bi-EN), which means "I'm fine."
• You can also use mucho gusto(MU-cho gus-to), which means "nice to meet you." After that, learn how to say "my name is": me llamo(me YA-mo). By putting these phrases together, you can greet someone in Spanish: "Mucho gusto, me llamo Juan" which means "Nice to meet you, my name is Ivan."

1. If you speak English, look for borrowings from Spanish. They may not be pronounced exactly the same as native Spanish speakers, but if you're fluent in English, chances are you already know some Spanish words.

   • Make a list of the Spanish words you already know to build up your vocabulary. In the future, these words will serve as the basis for further study of the language.
   • You probably already know many Spanish food names, such as taco(taco) and burrito(burrito).
   • There are also many words that are the same in both languages ​​(although their spelling and pronunciation may differ). For example, animal(animal) and chocolate(chocolate).

2. Learn the gender of nouns. Just like in Russian, in Spanish all objects differ by gender. In general, if a noun ends in o- this is masculine, and if on a- female (but there are some exceptions).

   • Just like in Russian, all nouns have gender, even inanimate ones (the same pronouns are used with them as with animate ones).
   • Remember, gender depends on the specific word, not the general meaning. This situation may arise when you are talking about an animal. For example, in a conversation about a dog, one should say "el perro" (el PE-rro), which indicates the masculine gender, even if the dog is feminine.

3. Learn Spanish pronouns. Just like in Russian, verbs are declined depending on the pronoun used. However, in Spanish it is not necessary to name a pronoun or even include it in a sentence. The reader or listener will understand which pronoun you meant by using the verb conjugation.

   • For example, if you want to say that you want something, you can use "yo quiero" (YO ki-YER-OH), which means "I want", or just say "quiero", and the pronoun will be clear from the context.
   • Here is a list of Spanish pronouns: yo - I, nosotros - we, el - he, ella - she is, a ellos and ellas - they. Use ellas if you are addressing an all-female group, and ellos- for all-male groups or mixed groups.
   • In addition, in Spanish there is a formal and informal appeal to one person. Use tu(you) if you are talking to someone you know or are close in age to (or younger). If the person is older than you, higher in rank, or completely unfamiliar to you, use a polite, formal form. usted. The plural of "you" (meaning "all of you") is ustedes. In addition, in Spain there is another formal appeal to plural: vosotros or vosotras(you). In other Spanish-speaking countries, only ustedes(you).

4. Learn basic sentence structure in Spanish. It is quite similar to the structure existing in English language but has some differences. If you understand how to think correctly, it will be easier for you to think and speak in Spanish.

5. Learn the words and phrases used in certain situations. Depending on the reason you are learning Spanish, certain words may be most useful in initial stage. Starting from a familiar area will help you lay the foundation you need.

   • Think about the words and phrases you use frequently throughout the day. For example, you say "please" and "thank you" several times a day. If you are not yet familiar por favor(por fa-BOP) and gracias(gra-si-as), learn these easy-to-learn words, as well as other politeness phrases.
   • If someone tells you gracias, can answer de nada(te NA-da), which means "please" (or, more literally, "no way").
   • Also in the early stages you will need to learn "yes" and "no" in Spanish (if you haven't already). These are the words: si(si) and no(but).

   Immerse yourself in the language environment

   1. Visit Spanish speaking countries. If you have mastered the basic conversational phrases, go somewhere where official language is Spanish to learn and understand it even faster.

      • The immersion process can be the fastest way to learn any language. If you think about it, that's how you mastered your native language. Most likely, you learned to speak long before you went to school and learned about the rules of grammar. You also began to speak more or less correctly even before you could read and write.
      • Immersion in the language environment is suitable for you if you want to communicate in it. Once in a Spanish-speaking country, you will not learn to read and write. You will still need to learn grammar and spelling, however, with the ability to speak, these skills will be easier for you.
      • In Spanish-speaking countries, there are a huge number of schools and educational programs, which will help you immerse yourself in the language, as well as get to know the Spanish or Latin American culture. However, if you cannot afford to travel abroad, you can use other effective ways immersion in the language environment without leaving home.

   2. Watch shows in Spanish. When listening to Spanish speech, it can be difficult to grasp the meaning due to problems understanding individual words. Watching shows in Spanish will help you train your ears and identify sounds.

      • To get started, watch movies or shows you know with Spanish subtitles. Since you already have general idea about what the characters are saying, you will begin to pick out the words and understand their meaning.
      • Use subtitles to improve your Spanish listening skills and train your brain to associate certain letters with certain sounds.
      • Once you've mastered familiar stories, move on to shows or movies you haven't seen before and see how well you understand them.

   3. Chat with native Spanish speakers. Since there are so many people in the world who speak Spanish, you don't have to travel to Spain or Latin America to find a native speaker who is willing to talk to you.

      • By talking to a native speaker and listening to his speech, you will be able to better understand sentences as a whole, rather than individual words. In addition, he will correct your mistakes before you embarrass yourself or find yourself in an unpleasant situation due to being misunderstood.
      • Don't forget that in different countries different pronunciation. Some Spaniards speak very differently from Mexicans, and some Mexicans speak differently from Colombians. A similar difference exists between British and American English.
      • If you are just starting to learn a language, look for people from Mexico or Ecuador, as they usually speak more slowly.

   4. Listen to music in Spanish. Since the lyrics are slower and more repetitive than normal speech, music is a great way to start recognizing individual words and associate their sound with the spelling in your mind. Try listening and singing the same song at the same time until you master the pronunciation and begin to understand the words.

      • If you have satellite radio, you can find many radio stations with Spanish music as well as talk radio stations. Depending on your location, you can even tune the radio to AM or FM.
      • In addition to the radio, you can find mountains of music in Spanish on the Internet. Start by searching the top 40 in a specific Spanish-speaking country, such as Mexico or Colombia.
      • Pick the songs you like and look up the lyrics on the internet. As the song plays, you can read the lyrics to better connect the sound and spelling of the word in your mind.

   5. Change the language on your electronic devices. Use the settings on your smartphone, computer or tablet to change the default language from Russian to Spanish. Since you are already familiar with the device menu, you will recognize the names of these words in Spanish.

      • Many websites and social networks allow you to change the default language. You can even change the language of your browser or use a special extension to translate Russian-language sites into Spanish. However, be careful, as translations are not always accurate and may not convey the correct meaning.
      • You can also search for sites in Spanish and try to read them. Many new sites have transcribed videos so you can read and listen at the same time.

   6. Sign household items. If you have a visual reminder of the name of this or that object that you deal with daily, in the end, this word will be firmly imprinted in your head. So your vocabulary will expand.

      • All you need for this is a pen or felt-tip pen, paper and tape. Make sure the sticky surface won't rub off the paint or damage the item, as you'll likely want to remove the stickers later. Alternatively, use regular stickers.
      • Don't try to stick stickers on everything at once. It can be tiresome. Choose 5-10 items, look up what they are called in Spanish, and label them. Once you've learned them, remove the stickers and move on to another group of things. If you forget something, just go back and repeat the process.

      Signing up for courses

      • There are also programs that require quite a significant initial investment. If you have money and you think that this program will benefit you in the future, buy it. But do not forget that you can learn Spanish without any material costs.
      • Websites and mobile apps are good for exercising vocabulary and basic phrases, but usually they give a fairly scattered knowledge of the Spanish language. Be prepared for the fact that you will need to immerse yourself in the language (at home or abroad) if you want to truly master it.
      • Generally, these programs are good if your goal is to learn how to read and write Spanish. If your the main objective It's communication, you'd better have real conversations.

   7. Set aside time each day to practice. You cannot learn Spanish overnight, it takes time. Decide how long your classes will last and try to hold them every day at the same time so that the practice of the language becomes a habit.

      • Using a calendar on a computer or smartphone is a great option as you can set notifications to remind you when it's time to study.
      • Don't spend too much time learning a language at a time or you'll get bored or your progress will slow down. Make sure you learn something new every session. For example, if you practice the language for 15 minutes every evening, set aside 5 minutes to review the material covered the day before, 5 minutes new topic and fix it for another 5 minutes.

   8. Set measurable goals. The thought of learning all the nuances of a language can be a bit overwhelming, especially when you think about how long it took you to learn your first language. Break everything down into small, achievable goals to track your progress.

      • Goals can be related directly to the language or to your learning methods. For example, if you immerse yourself in the language and watch shows in Spanish, your goal might be to watch one episode of a TV show every evening. The language-related goal is to learn 5 new verbs every week.
      • Write down your goals and evaluate your progress every week. If you don't reach your goal, try not to get upset. Just reevaluate and determine what went wrong. If you can fix it somehow, make adjustments and try again next week.
   • Learning a second language can be difficult. Don't be too hard on yourself if you forgot something or made a mistake. And you will make mistakes. Be patient and try to exercise a little each day.
   • Enrolling in courses will help you master the Spanish language. It will be easier for you to learn and you will be able to receive feedback on your progress.
   • Try to visit a Spanish-speaking friend every day to learn more about the language, as well as internal tricks and tricks.

You have booked a ticket. Your luggage is already packed. You can't wait to start your journey in a country where everyone speaks Spanish.

There is another simple thing you can do that will come in handy on your trip: learn a few Spanish phrases! Travel will definitely be much more fun and rewarding if you can communicate with native speakers.

In this article, we have selected the most popular spanish phrases that will help you "survive" the journey.

greetings

Hispanic culture is based on a cult of courtesy, you should also always be courteous and say "hello" and "how are you?" And don't worry about making mistakes, others will do their best to understand you and make sure you understand them. Just try your best and they will be happy to see your efforts.

• Good morning - Buenos dias(Buenos dias)
• Good afternoon - Buenas tardes(buenas tardes)
• Good evening - Buena nights(buenas noches)
• Hola (hola) is "hello". You can say hello to people you already know.
• ¿Como está?(komo esta) - a way to ask “how are you?” in case you don't know the person, ¿Como estas?(como estas) - if you know him.
• If they ask you “how are you?”, answer “ok, thank you” - bien, gracias(bien, gracias) because you are also a polite person.
• Never forget keywords: please - por favor(por favor) - and thank you - gracias(gracias).
• When you introduce yourself to someone, you say “Mucho gusto”(much thickly), and you will hear the same in response. It means "nice to meet you".
• If you suddenly run into an insurmountable language barrier, switch to universal English, just make sure with your interlocutor: ¿Habla ingles?(Abla Ingles)? - You speak English?

Useful Basic Vocabulary

In everyday communication, even the simplest words and phrases to remember will come in handy. You can always use "I want", "I like", "Do you have...?", and if you don't know how to complete a phrase (for example, you can't remember the right noun), just point to the subject.

• I want, I don't want Yo quiero, yo no quiero(yo kyero, yo no kyero)
• I would like (more politely) - Me gustaria(me Gustaria)
• Where is? - ¿Donde está?(dongde esta)?
• What is the price? - ¿Cuánto cuesta?(cuanto cuesta)?
• What time is it? - ¿Que hora es?(ke ora es)?
• You have? - ¿Tiene?(tiene)?
• I have, I don't have Yo tengo, yo no tengo(yo tengo, yo no tengo)
• I understand, I don't understand Yo entiendo, yo no entiendo(yo entiendo, yo no entiendo)
• You understand - ¿Entiende?(entiende)?

Simple verb forms: where is, I want, I need

You can express many thoughts and requests using simple shapes verbs. The important thing is that you can say a lot of things using "I want", "I need", "I can", "I could" or "where is" and then just add a noun. It may not be so easy for you, but you will definitely be understood.

• I want a ticket, a hotel, a taxi - Yo quiero un boleto, un hotel, un taxi(yo kyero un boleto, un hotel, un taxi)

How can I get there?

If you're a little confused or not sure how to get somewhere, you need a few simple phrases to help you find your way. "Where is?" in Spanish it sounds like “¿dónde está?” (dongde esta?), let's see this question in action based on a few examples:

• Where is the railway station? - ¿Dónde está la estación de ferrocarril?(donde esta la estación de ferrocarril) or “autobuses” (autobuses).
• Where is the restaraunt? - ¿Dónde está un restaurante?(donde esta un restaurante)?
  - Train? - ¿Untren?(un tren)?
  - The outside …? - ¿La calle...?(la sai)?
  - Bank? - ¿Un banco?(un banco)?
• I am looking for the restroom. - ¿Dónde está el baño?– (donde esta el banyo)?
• I want a hotel, I want a hotel with a bathroom Yo quiero un hotel, yo quiero un hotel con baño(Ye kyero un hotel, yeo kyero un hotel kon banyo)
• I need - Yo necesito(yo nesesito). Very useful phrase, just add the noun:
  Yo necesito un hotel, un cuarto, un cuarto con baño– (yo neseshito un hotel, un quarto son banyo)
• Where is the exchange office located? where is the bank located? - ¿Dónde está una casa de cambio?(donde esta una casa de cambio);
  ¿Dónde está el banco?(donde esta el banco)?
• Money - Dinero (dinero).

Driving directions

Once you ask a question about how to get somewhere, you will hear the answer in Spanish. Remember the Spanish for a few simple directions someone might give you, such as telling you to turn right or left or go straight ahead. Heed these keywords:

• Right side - a la derecha(a la derecha)
• Left-hand side – a la izquierda(a la izkjerda)
• Straight ahead - derecho(derecho)
• On the corner - en la esquina(en la aeskina)
• One, two, three, four blocks a una cuadra, a dos, tres, cuatro cuadras- (a una cuadra, a dos, tres, cuatro cuadras)

In a restaurant: what do you want to eat or drink?

These are probably the phrases you will need the most when you are in a restaurant. Order something with the help of someone you already know "quiero"(kyero) or "quisiera"(kissera) - “I want” or “I would like.” And don't forget to say “por favor” and "gracias"!

• Table - Una mesa(una mesa)
• Table for two, three, four Una mesa para dos tres, cuatro(una mesa para dos, tres, cuatro)
• Menu - Un menu(ung menu)
• Soup - Sopa(sopa)
• Salad - Ensalada(ensalada)
• Hamburger (also a must!) Hamburguesa(amburgesa)
• With ketchup, mustard, tomato, lettuce - Con salsa de tomate, mostaza, tomate, lechuga- (con salsa de tomate, mostaza, tomate, lechuga)
• Snack - Una entrada(una entrada)
• Dessert - Un postre(un postre)
• Drink - Una bebida(una babyda)
• Water - Agua(agua)
• Red wine, white wine Vino tinto(bino tinto), wine blanco(bino blanco)
• Beer - Cerveza(serveza)
• Coffee - un café(un cafe)
• Call the waiter or waitress - ¡Señor! or ¡Señorita!(senor or senorita)
• Check - La cuenta(la cuenta)

Miscellaneous information

• Credit cards. Many places in small towns still don't accept credit cards, so make sure you have enough cash with you. You can ask if credit card is accepted, - una tarjeta de credito(una tarheta de credito). If you have questions, you can always use nouns as a question. For example, you can take out a credit card and ask ¿Tarjeta de credito? They will understand.
• Universal word: no funciona(but functional) - no, it doesn't work. You can use this in many other circumstances. Just point to the shower or whatever and say: “¡No funciona!”
• Practice saying everything out loud, so, firstly, you will remember some phrases without having to "peep" them, and secondly, you will learn to pronounce them quickly and, at the same time, smoothly. Simple listening talking person will also help you understand people.
• Take a small pocket dictionary with you. Of course, you do not want to look for the right verb conjugation in the middle of a conversation, but you will always find the right noun quickly. Download such a dictionary before the trip, it will definitely help out more than once.

1 - uno (uno)
2 - dos (dos)
3 - tres (tres)
4 - cuatro (quatro)
5 - cinco (sinko)
6 - seis (seis)
7 - siete (siete)
8 - ocho (ocho)
9 - nueve (nueve)
10 - diez (diez)

P.S. More useful phrases you will learn in the online course.

Just like in any other country in the world, the interest of tourists in the national language is perceived by the local population as a sign of respect.

I offer a set of useful phrases for tourists in Spain.

SPANISH

BASIC WORDS AND PHRASES

hola- ola- Hello hi.

adios- adios- bye, bye. Instead of "adios" they also say "hasta luego" - ásta luego- "see you later".

por favor - pore favor- please in the sense of "be kind."

gracias- grácias- Thanks.

si- si- Yes; no- but- No. In case of refusal of something proposed, it is customary to say “but, gracias”, in case of agreement to something proposed - “si, por favor”

perdon- fart- I'm sorry. It is used as a request to forgive, as a request to repeat what was said and as a way to attract attention (a polite form of “hey, you!”

vale- bale– ok, no hablo español is fine – but áblo espanol- I do not speak Spanish.

SPANISH: SHOPPING

estoy mirando- Estonian Mirando Literally, "I'm watching." Example: "estóy mirándo grácias" ("I'm still looking at what's available (I haven't chosen yet), thanks")

queria eso - keria eso- I would like that. A universal phrase for any stores, combined with the use of the index finger, it saves you from having to remember the names of items. In some phrasebooks, instead of “keria” (“would like”), it is suggested to say “kyero” (“I want”), this is less polite, so they usually do not say this.

y- and- and. Exactly the same as in Russian. Example: "keria eso i eso" ("I would like this and that")

cuanto vale? - quanto bále?- what is the price? The second universal phrase for shops. By combining it with "queria eso", you will actually become fluent in Spanish in terms of shopping. Options: "Keria eso, kuánto bále, por favour?" "Quanto bále eso, por favour?"

probarme- probarme- try on yourself, a single-root word with the Russian "test". Example: “keria probárme eso, por favór” (“please, I would like to try this on”)

probadores - probadores- fitting booths. Example: "probadores, por favour?" equivalent to "please, where is the fitting room here?"

mirar- miar- look, look. Example: “keria mirár eso” (“I would like to look at that little thing over there”)

tarjeta- tarheta- card. Example: "con tarheta?" (“Can I pay by card?”)

en effective - en efficient- in cash. The cashier at the store usually asks how you will pay: in cash or by card. He does this in the following way: "con tarheta o en effective?"

SPANISH: BAR, RESTAURANT

la carta - la carta- menu, list of dishes. The word “menu” as such is often understood as a request to bring not a list of dishes, but a set lunch, so it’s better not to use it as a menu request

tiene menu? - chiene menu? Do you have set meals? Sometimes at first glance it is not clear whether this cafeteria offers set meals (menu del dia), and you have to ask. Taking a set lunch, of course, is always cheaper than ordering the same dishes separately.

sinhielo- blue yelo- without ice. A very important phrase when ordering soft drinks. The fact is that by default they are in most cases served with ice, while ice occupies from a third to a half of the useful volume of a glass. In any case, your drink will be served cold. Example: “ýna fanta sin yélo, por favour!” – “fantu without ice, please!”

del timepo - del tempo– room temperature. Example: "ýna coca-cola del tempo, por favour!" (“not a cold Coke, please!”)

bien-hecho- bien echo- well-done (about meat). If you order meat “in a piece” in a restaurant and don’t like it when it is bloody (in a number of dishes it is usually not fried to a “crust”), when ordering, say this magic phrase, and the tenderloin will be guaranteed to be well fried. Some phrasebooks suggest using "muy echo" (" muy echo"), which literally means "very fried". It’s better not to say that, otherwise there is a risk that, according to the request, they will bring you practically a “sole”. If, on the contrary, you like meat with blood, when ordering, say "poco hecho" (" poco echo«)

cana- cana- a glass of beer. It is a glass or a glass (gram 250), and it is beer. Examples: "ýna kánya, por favour!" (“a glass of beer, please!”) “dos canas, por favor!” (“a couple of beers, please!”)

jarra- harra- mug of beer. Example: “ýna kharra grande, por favour!” ("big mug, please!").

cerveza- service- beer. For example: “ýna harra de servésa, por favour!” (“Mug of beer, please!”)

wine - wine– wine, by default – red. Stress on the first syllable. Example: "ýna kópa (dos kópas) de wine, por favour!" (“a glass (two glasses) of wine, please!”)

tinto- tinto– red

rosado- rosado– pink

blanco- blanco- white. Example: "ýna copa de vino blanco, por favour!" (“a glass of white wine, please!”)

agua - água - water.

cafe- cafe- coffee.

cafe solo cafe solo- black coffee

cafe cortado - cafe cortado– coffee with a little milk

cafe con leche cafe con léche– black coffee half-and-half with milk

capuchino - cappuccino - cappuccino

te- te- tea

servicios- servisios – toilet. Example: "los servicios, por favour?" (“Where is the toilet, please?”). The toilet is also denoted by the words lavabo and aseo, but "servisios" is easier to remember

cuenta- quanta- check. Example: "la cuenta, por favor!" ("The check, please!").

SPANISH: AT THE HOTEL

Tiene plancha? - tiene plancha- Do you have an iron?

habitacion - habitacion- room, hotel room.

quería una habitación - keria una habitacion- I would like to rent a room

double- doble- room for two. Example: "queria ýna habitacón double, por favour" ("please, I would like to rent a room for two")

individual - individual- number for one

SPANISH: NUMBER 0 to 10

0 – cero- sero; one - uno– ýno; 2- dos- dos; 3- tres- tres;

4 – cuatro- cuattro; 5 - cinco- sinco; 6- seis– seis;

7 – siete- siete; eight - ocho- ocho; 9 - new- Nueve; ten - diez- des.

SPANISH: TRANSPORT, MOVEMENT

pasa por- past time- goes through, goes to. Example: "pasa por plasa Catalunya?" (“Does [this bus, etc.] go to Plaça Catalunya?”)

pare aqui - pare aki- stop here. The phrase is more for a taxi.

estacion - station- station. Estación de autobuses estacion de autobuses- bus; estación de trenes estacion de trenes– railway

litro- liter- liter. Example: “beinte litros, por favour!” ("twenty liters, please")

lleno- yeno- full. Example: "yéno, por favour!" ("Fill it up, please!")

In order to ask the question “how to get there”, it’s enough just to name the right place with an interrogative intonation and the same “por favor”. For example: “estacion de trenes, por favour?” (“please, how do I get to the train station?”). Or “Plaza Catalunya, por favour?” (“please, how do you get to Plaça Catalunya?”)

By deed they learn the most used words and phrases for communication. This is done so that the person can respond to the most FAQ travel, get to know people around you. This way of learning a language is used by teachers and educators. foreign courses. Most authors try to include these words in the first lesson of their textbooks.

Most popular words and expressions

When learning a language, there is a necessary minimum of words and expressions. Starting to master it, you should first of all learn how to say “hello” in Spanish, “bye”, “my name is ...”, “I am ... years old”, “I live ...” and the like. With the help of this set of words, you can say hello to a person, get to know him, tell about yourself. This is where almost all textbooks and language courses begin.

The list of popular words and expressions is compiled on the basis of various books, magazines, even films. Linguists analyze texts, look at how often words are used and, based on their observations, make up the top 100, top 1000 most used expressions with which to start learning the language.

For Spanish in particular, greetings and farewells are considered the most commonly used. Therefore, many courses first teach a person how to say “hello” in Spanish, taking into account the fact that this word has several synonyms, the use of which depends on a lot of factors.

Hello in Spanish

There are several ways to say hello on Let's look at some of them.

The most important thing to remember is that “hello” in Spanish will be “¡Hola!”. This is how they greet well-known people, friends. This is the most common way to say hello.

Before lunch, the Spaniards greet with the phrase: "¡Buenos días!" - which translates as: "Good afternoon!". If you are meeting a person after dinner, you should say to him: "¡Buenas tardes!". In the evening, it is customary to greet people with the phrase: “¡Buenas noches!” - that is, wish them a good evening.

If you are greeting a good friend, you can say in Spanish: "Hello friend!" - with the phrase: "¡Hola, amigo!".

With the help of these phrases, you can communicate in person and correspondence with friends from Spanish-speaking countries. The main thing is to use them correctly.

How do you ask someone how they are doing?

Having learned how to say "hello" in Spanish, let's move on to another list of necessary words and expressions. No less common are questions about how a person is doing. In many ways, tradition and courtesy, so you need to know some of the most common questions and answers on this topic.

There are two ways to ask how a person is doing. The first is to ask the person a question: "¿Cómo estás?". The second is to ask: "¿Qué tal?". Both translate: "How are you?" These questions are equally common in Spanish. A more respectful form would be: "¿Cómo está Usted?" - and translated: "How are you?"

Less commonly used: "¿Qué tal la vida?" - which translates: "How's life?" One can also ask what is new about a person by asking the question: "¿Qué hay de nuevo?"

This set is enough to seem friendly and well-mannered person any Spaniard.

We answer questions

So, we learned how to say “hello” in Spanish, we learned how to ask questions about the affairs of the interlocutor. Now let's talk about how to answer a person's question about your affairs.

If you are doing well, you can express it with the phrase "muy bien" which translates to "very good" or "excellent". To tell a person that everything is fine, you can use the phrases "todo está bien" and "bien, gracias". The first translates as "everything is in order", the second - "thank you, good."

Neutral responses that indicate the good state of your affairs sound like "no está mal, gracias", that is, "not bad", "bien" - "good", and "como siempre", that is, "as usual".

If your business is bad, you can answer "no muy bien", that is, "not very", and "mal" - "badly".

goodbye in spanish

And finally, when saying goodbye to a person, you definitely need to say goodbye to him. There are also several expressions for this. Let's analyze some of them.

So, you can say "goodbye" with the word "adiós", and if you say goodbye to good friends, you can safely use "saludos", which replaces "bye".

If you plan to see the person soon, you can use the phrase "hasta pronto" - "see you soon", or "hasta luego", that is, "see you soon". If the meeting is in the evening, use "nos vemos esta tarde", if you plan to meet tomorrow, use the phrase "hasta mañana". In the evening, it is customary to say goodbye with the phrase “buenas noches”, that is, to wish “good night”.

As you can see, the set of standard phrases is not so great. By studying, you not only master the rules for constructing phrases, using the forms of certain words, but also replenish your vocabulary, learn to communicate correctly and politely with strangers.

Having learned the Spanish translation of “hello”, “how are you”, “bye” and other equally common words, you can start a conversation with a person, show your knowledge of the basics of the language and that you respect your interlocutor.

No matter how common English is around the world, practice shows that in a large number of cases it is necessary to know at least the basics of Spanish when a person goes on a business trip or as a tourist in today to learn the basics of any foreign language You can do it on your own or by taking targeted courses. For example, a Spanish course for tourists involves learning the basics of this Romance language, and also includes basic phrases that are most often useful to tourists.

The Importance of Knowing Basic Spanish

When a person travels around another country, he gets a huge amount of new emotions and impressions, learns about new places, about the way of life of foreigners, in a word, about a new culture. Such knowledge will not be complete and vivid if he knows absolutely nothing about the language spoken by the inhabitants of this country. In addition, situations will often arise when a tourist needs to know some information, for example, how to get to a particular hotel, but he will have problems, since the inhabitants of all Spanish-speaking countries, in comparison with the population of developed European countries, have an extremely low level of knowledge English.

Therefore, if a person wants to get maximum satisfaction from a trip to warm countries that are not limited only to Spain, because almost all South America and southern part North America speak the language of Miguel Cervantes, then he needs to independently study its basics or enroll in short-term Spanish courses for tourists.

Russian-Spanish phrasebooks

To feel confident in a Spanish-speaking atmosphere, you need to carry a reference book or phrase book with you. These manuals contain basic phrases for the most common occasions. It is better to choose a Russian-Spanish phrasebook for tourists with pronunciation, in which the transcription in Cyrillic will help you pronounce the Spanish phrase as correctly as possible.

• "Russian-Spanish Phrasebook" of the St. Petersburg publishing house "KARO", which consists of 144 pages. It contains information about Spain, collected many important phrases in Spanish with transcription in Russian. All phrases are divided into sections on various everyday topics, so finding the necessary expression for a tourist will not be difficult.
• "Spanish Phrasebook and Dictionary" of the Moscow publishing house "Living Language" is a book of 224 pages, which contains not only phrases, but also about 8000 foreign words. This Spanish tourist phrasebook will fit in your pocket. The vocabulary collected in it allows you to communicate on many everyday topics to a person who does not speak Spanish well.
• "Russian-Spanish Phrasebook" publishing house "Victoria Plus", Moscow. This small book is the most popular among our tourists because it is cheap and easy to navigate.

Also, before traveling to a Spanish-speaking country, it is recommended to learn 10-20 of the most necessary phrases, which will help the traveler quickly explain what kind of help he wants to ask a resident of a foreign country.

greeting in spanish

One of the main phrases in Spanish for tourists are greetings, because it is with them that any communication begins. The following phrases will help start the conversation kindly:

• Hola - hello, hello. A simple word of greeting that you can say to your peer or acquaintance. It is read "Ola", only unlike Russian, the sound "l" should be pronounced a little softer. A capital letter here and below indicates a stressed syllable.
• Buenos días - good morning. This phrase is formal, but it can also be used to start an informal conversation. It reads "buenos dias". So you can welcome until 12 o'clock.
• Buenas tardes - good afternoon. This expression can be used, for example, when a tourist meets the owners of the hotel in the afternoon. Pronounced "buenas tardes".
• Buenas noches - good evening. Thus it is customary to greet after 18.00. Pronounced "buenas nights".

Basic necessary words and expressions

Spanish for tourists also implies knowledge of such words and phrases as "thank you", "please", "yes", "no", "how are you", etc. The table below lists these and some others commonly used in everyday life. colloquial speech expressions.

spanish word	Pronunciation	Translating to Russian language
si	si	Yes
no	but	No
gracias	gracias	Thanks
muchas gracias	muchas gracias	thank you very much
se lo agradezco	se lo agradEsko	thank you
por favor	por favor	please
perdoneme	perdoneme	forgive me
disculpeme	diskUlpeme	excuse me
¿como estas?	komo estas	how are you? How are you doing
estoy muy bien	estoy muy bien	I'm fine
¿que tal?	ke tal	how are you
perfectamente	perfecttamEnte	Great
soy turista ruso	soy turista russo	I am a Russian tourist

goodbye in spanish

No living language is complete without saying goodbye, and Spanish is no exception. Colloquial Spanish for tourists usually includes the following expressions that can be used when a person says goodbye to someone:

• Adios - goodbye. This is the most popular word that is easy to remember and can be used in absolutely any situation and with any interlocutor when you say goodbye for a while. It is pronounced like "adOs".
• Hasta pronto or hasta luego - see you soon. These two expressions are often used when friends or acquaintances say goodbye for a while. They are read "Asta pronto" and "Asta luEgo", respectively. It should be noted that people in Spanish-speaking countries, especially in Spain itself, often use diminutive suffixes for such farewell words. For example, you can often hear hasta lueguito - "Asta lueguito", which literally translates into Russian as "to a quick one".
• Hasta mañana - see you tomorrow. For example, a tourist leaves a hotel in order to spend the night on the seashore in a tent, and return again the next day. In this case, he can say "Asta manyana" to the owners of the hotel. Note that before going to bed it is preferable to say not hasta mañana, but buenas noches - "buEnas noches", which translates as "good night". This wish is identical to the greeting "good evening".
• Hasta el año siguiente - until next year. If, while traveling around the country, a tourist made new acquaintances and plans to see new friends again next year, then he can say to them "Asta el Año sigEnte".
• Nos veremos - see you. If, when saying goodbye to two friends or acquaintances, it is not known when the next meeting will take place, then you can say "nose beremos."
• Hasta siempre - goodbye. If the tourist does not plan to stop by this hotel anymore, then at parting, you can say "Asta sempre". However, it is still not recommended to use this phrase in such situations, since it has a negative connotation, as if the tourist did not like something in the service. The phrase hasta la vista is also very rarely used.

Difficulties in understanding

The Spanish language has a clear pronunciation, almost all sounds in its phonetics are close to the corresponding sounds of the Russian language. However, difficulties in understanding Spanish speech often arise, and they are associated with the speed of pronunciation of words, which is one of the fastest in the world. Therefore, do not be afraid to ask again what is not clear the first time. The following phrases are useful for this purpose:

spanish phrase	Pronunciation	Meaning in Russian
no entiendo	but entendo	I don't understand
me he perdido	me e perdido	I'm lost
si, entiendo	si, entendo	Yes, I understand
¿Le puedo preguntar?	le puedo preguntar	may I ask you
¿Podría hablar más despacio, por favor?	podria ablAr mas despacio, por favor	could you speak more slowly please
repita por favor	rapita por favor	repeat please
¿Puede usted escribírmelo?	puede ustEd escribIrmelo	could you write it to me

Words and phrases for orientation in the city

Any Spanish phrasebook for tourists must necessarily include words and phrases that serve as assistants to a person who does not speak this language for orientation in the area, in particular, in an urban setting. The following words and expressions are often needed:

spanish phrase	Pronunciation	Meaning in Russian
la estacion de trenes	la estasion de trenes	railway station
la estacion de autobuses	la estas on de outs uses	bus station
la parada	la parada	stop
el parque	el parquet	a park
la calle	la caye	the outside
la plaza	la plaza	square
la casa	la casa	house
el supermercado	el supermarkAdo	supermarket
¿Dónde se puede comprar billetes?	donde se puede comprar biyetes	where can i buy tickets
¿Donde está?	donde est	where is
¿Como puedo pasar a este parque?	como puedo passar a este parque	how do i get to this park

Emergencies and emergencies

Emergencies can happen to anyone at any time, so before traveling to a Spanish-speaking country, it is recommended to learn a few phrases related to this topic. The simplest are the following:

Other useful words

The following words in Spanish for tourists will be very useful. They can be used in different situations when you need to ask or explain something. At the same time, these words can be pronounced independently, that is, without the use of explanatory verbs, since a person who knows Spanish will still be able to understand what is being said.

bueno	bueno	good
little	few	bad
bastante	BastAnte	enough, enough
frio	frio	cold
caliente	kaliEnte	hot
pequeno	pekanyo	small
grande	grande	big
¿que?	ke	what
¿por que?	PorkE	why
alli	AI	there
aqui	AKI	here
accensor	assenseOr	elevator
retreat	retrete	toilet
cerrado	serrado	closed
abierto	abyerto	open
prohibido fumar	ProibIdo FumAr	no smoking
entrada	entrada	input
salida	Salida	exit

The inhabitants of Spanish-speaking countries are very kind, cheerful and emotional people, so you should not be afraid to ask them again what is not clear, they will always explain to the tourist in an accessible way.