60 Spanish phrases for travel, with pronunciation you can read
Updated 24 October 2026 · 8 min read
You don't need to learn Spanish for a trip to Spain or Mexico. You need about sixty phrases, a clean set of five vowels, and the nerve to use them. Spanish speakers are patient with learners and talkative with anyone who tries; buenos días at the bakery changes how the morning goes.
Below: the phrases you'll actually use, grouped by situation, with a pronunciation you can read. The stressed syllable is in CAPITALS. Where Spain and Latin America say it differently, both are given — the differences are small and everybody understands both.
Greetings and politeness
| Spanish | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Hola | O-la | Hi / hello (the h is silent) |
| Buenos días | BWE-nos DEE-as | Good morning |
| Buenas tardes | BWE-nas TAR-des | Good afternoon / early evening |
| Buenas noches | BWE-nas NO-ches | Good evening / good night |
| Gracias (muchas gracias) | GRA-thyas in Spain, GRA-syas in Latin America | Thank you (very much) |
| Por favor | por fa-VOR | Please |
| De nada | de NA-da | You're welcome |
| Sí / No | see / no | Yes / No |
| Perdón / Disculpe | per-DON / dis-KUL-pe | Sorry / excuse me |
| ¿Cómo estás? / ¿Cómo está? | KO-mo es-TAS / KO-mo es-TA | How are you? (informal / polite) |
| Bien, ¿y tú? | byen, ee TOO | Fine, and you? |
| Adiós / Hasta luego | a-DYOS / AS-ta LWE-go | Goodbye / see you later |
| ¿Habla inglés? | A-bla in-GLES | Do you speak English? |
| No entiendo | no en-TYEN-do | I don't understand |
| Hablo un poco de español | A-blo un PO-ko de es-pa-NYOL | I speak a little Spanish |
| Más despacio, por favor | mas des-PA-thyo / des-PA-syo | Slower, please |
| ¿Puede repetir? | PWE-de re-pe-TEER | Can you repeat? |
At the café and the restaurant
| Spanish | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Un café, por favor | un ka-FE por fa-VOR | A coffee, please |
| Un café con leche / un cortado | un ka-FE kon LE-che / un kor-TA-do | A milky coffee / an espresso with a dash of milk |
| Una cerveza / una caña | OO-na ther-VE-tha (ser-VE-sa) / OO-na KA-nya | A beer / a small draught beer (Spain) |
| Un vaso de agua | un BA-so de A-gwa | A glass of water |
| La carta, por favor | la KAR-ta por fa-VOR | The menu, please |
| ¿Qué me recomienda? | ke me re-ko-MYEN-da | What do you recommend? |
| Quisiera… / Quiero… | ki-SYE-ra / KYE-ro | I would like… / I want… |
| Para mí, … | PA-ra MEE | For me, … |
| Soy vegetariano / vegetariana | soy be-he-ta-RYA-no / -RYA-na | I'm vegetarian (m / f) |
| Sin carne | sin KAR-ne | Without meat |
| Soy alérgico a… | soy a-LER-hi-ko a | I'm allergic to… |
| La cuenta, por favor | la KWEN-ta por fa-VOR | The bill, please |
| Estaba muy rico | es-TA-ba mwee RREE-ko | It was delicious |
| ¡Salud! | sa-LOOD | Cheers! |
| Buen provecho | bwen pro-BE-cho | Enjoy your meal |
Getting around
| Spanish | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Dónde está…? | DON-de es-TA | Where is…? |
| …la estación / la playa / el baño | la es-ta-THYON (es-ta-SYON) / la PLA-ya / el BA-nyo | …the station / the beach / the toilet |
| A la izquierda / a la derecha / todo recto | a la ith-KYER-da (is-KYER-da) / a la de-RE-cha / TO-do RREK-to | Left / right / straight on |
| ¿Está lejos? | es-TA LE-hos | Is it far? |
| Un billete para… / un boleto para… | un bi-YE-te PA-ra / un bo-LE-to PA-ra | A ticket to… (Spain / Latin America) |
| ¿A qué hora sale? | a ke O-ra SA-le | What time does it leave? |
| Al aeropuerto, por favor | al a-e-ro-PWER-to por fa-VOR | To the airport, please (taxi) |
| Aquí, gracias | a-KEE GRA-syas | Here, thanks (to stop the taxi) |
Shopping and money
| Spanish | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | KWAN-to KWES-ta | How much does it cost? |
| ¿Cuánto es? | KWAN-to es | How much is it? (the total) |
| Es muy caro | es mwee KA-ro | It's very expensive |
| ¿Tiene…? | TYE-ne | Do you have…? |
| Este / esta, por favor | ES-te / ES-ta por fa-VOR | This one, please (m / f) |
| ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? | PWE-do pa-GAR kon tar-HE-ta | Can I pay by card? |
| En efectivo | en e-fek-TEE-bo | In cash |
| El recibo, por favor | el rre-THEE-bo (rre-SEE-bo) por fa-VOR | The receipt, please |
Numbers, time, trouble
| Spanish | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco | OO-no, dos, tres, KWA-tro, THIN-ko (SIN-ko) | One to five |
| seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez | seys, SYE-te, O-cho, NWE-be, dyeth (dyes) | Six to ten |
| Hoy / mañana / ayer | oy / ma-NYA-na / a-YER | Today / tomorrow / yesterday |
| ¿Qué hora es? | ke O-ra es | What time is it? |
| ¡Ayuda! / ¡Socorro! | a-YOO-da / so-KO-rro | Help! |
| Necesito un médico | ne-the-SEE-to (ne-se-SEE-to) un ME-di-ko | I need a doctor |
| ¿Dónde está el baño? | DON-de es-TA el BA-nyo | Where is the toilet? |
| Estoy perdido / perdida | es-TOY per-DEE-do / per-DEE-da | I'm lost (m / f) |
| Llame a la policía | YA-me a la po-li-THEE-a (po-li-SEE-a) | Call the police |
Five things that make you sound right
- Five clean vowels. a e i o u are short and never drift the way English vowels do. Hola is O-la, not OH-luh.
- Hit the stress. It's the second-to-last syllable unless the word ends in a consonant other than n or s, or carries a written accent (café, está). Wrong stress is harder to understand than a wrong vowel.
- J and soft g come from the throat. Jamón, gente — a breathy 'h' from the back, not an English j.
- Th or s: both are right. Spain says gracias with a 'th'; Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and everywhere else say it with an 's'. Pick whichever your teacher uses and don't worry about it.
- Tap the r. If you can't roll rr yet, a single tap is understood. Pero and perro will sort themselves out with time.
Rehearse them before you go
Reading a phrase list is not the same as saying it to a waiter. Spend a few ten-minute sessions ordering, asking the way and paying with Sofia — she answers in Spanish the way the waiter will, and you'll arrive having already done it. For more words by situation, our Spanish vocabulary by topic has 200 of them with pronunciation, and the guide to learning Spanish as an adult has the plan if you want to go further than the trip.
Questions people ask
- What are the most important Spanish phrases for travel?
- Hola, buenos días, gracias, por favor, la cuenta por favor (the bill), ¿cuánto cuesta? (how much), ¿dónde está…? (where is), and no entiendo (I don't understand). With those and the right stress, you're a guest rather than a tourist.
- Should I learn Spain Spanish or Mexican Spanish for a trip?
- Whichever country you're going to, but the differences are small: a 'th' versus 's' sound, a few words (billete / boleto for ticket), and vosotros in Spain. Everyone understands both; don't let the choice delay you.
- Do I need to speak Spanish to visit Spain or Mexico?
- No, English gets you through tourist areas. But sixty phrases said properly change how you're treated, and outside the big cities and resorts they're genuinely useful.
- How do you say thank you in Spanish?
- Gracias — GRA-thyas in Spain, GRA-syas in Latin America. 'Muchas gracias' is thank you very much; the reply is 'de nada' (you're welcome).
- How do you say hello in Spanish?
- Hola (O-la, silent h) works anywhere, any time. Buenos días is good morning, buenas tardes good afternoon, buenas noches good evening or good night.
Practise them out loud before the trip
Order a coffee from Sofia in Spanish, tonight. Free account, no credit card.
Rehearse with Sofia