10 Essential Spanish Phrases for Modern Travellers
You may have learnt some basic Spanish phrases from travel guides or phrase books before your trip or holiday, but have you learnt the really useful up-to-date phrases that the modern traveller cannot do without? Here are ten Spanish phrases you really need to know to stay connected whilst abroad:
1. Is there free wifi here?
¿Hay wifi gratuito aquí?
2. What is the wifi code?
¿Cuál es el código wifi?
3. Is there internet connection in the room?
¿Hay conexión a internet en la habitación? Continue reading
Spanish Football Phrases
Join in with the locals by discussing football!
A great way to start a conversation with the locals in Spain would be to discuss a football match. It is worth pointing out to start with that some football related words vary depending on country and region.
Here are some key words and phrases to start you off.
Remember, some of the endings will change depending on whether they are male or female.
Spanish positions / titles:
football player – el/la futbolista
coach – entrenador/a
captain – el capitán
goalkeeper – portero/a / el guardameta Continue reading
How to Say You are Scared in Spanish
Expresiones en español para expresar el miedo
With Halloween this week, here are some popular Spanish phrases to express fear:
Tener miedo: To be scared. [Literally: To have fear.]
“Ella tiene miedo a las alturas.” She is scared of heights.
Asustarse: To get frightened.
“Me asusté tanto que me temblaban las piernas.” I got so scared that my legs were shaking. Continue reading
How to Use Negative Words in Spanish
Negative words in Spanish do not work in the same way as in English. If you try to translate a negative sentence from Spanish directly into English it will not sound right.
For example, in English we do not use double negatives whereas in Spanish they do.
e.g. No tiene nada que hacer. – Literal translation: He doesn’t have nothing to do.
(This is incorrect English and anyway, this would mean that he does have something to do, so is not negative.)
You will also find that you do not hear plural nouns used in negative sentences. You always use the noun in the singular form.
e.g. No hay problema. – There are no problems.
In this blog post we will teach you everything you need to be able to make up your own negative sentences. Continue reading
Preterite vs Imperfect
Master Which Past Tense to Use
One of the most difficult things people who are learning Spanish come across is which past tense to use. There are several past tenses in Spanish but the two most common ones are the preterite (or the past simple) and the imperfect which are also the easiest to confuse.
In this blog post we will help you work out when to use the preterite and when to use the imperfect so that when you come to talk or write in the past in Spanish you will be able to with ease. Continue reading
Tan v Tanto – Master Comparisons of Equality in Spanish
In everyday conversation you often want to compare objects and people, so this is one of the important parts of speech to learn when studying a foreign language.
In Spanish, two key words you need to know how to use are “tan” (so/as) and “tanto” (so much).
In this blog post you will learn how to use these words to compare things and people easily in Spanish. Continue reading
How to talk about your hobbies and free time in Spanish
We all have activities we like to do in our spare time whether it is a sport or a club you attend or something more unusual. One thing is for sure, when you are chatting to people in Spanish and trying to get to know them one of the key topics you will want to talk about is what you enjoy doing in your leisure time.By learning how to talk about what you like doing in Spanish you will be able to engage in small talk and develop your conversational skills in the language. It will also help you connect with people who like similar activities and help you make friends.
In this blog post we will give you some key phrases to help you chat easily to native Spanish speakers about your hobbies and pastimes.
How to Talk about Illness in Spanish
Whenever you go on holiday the last thing you want is to fall ill or have an accident and end up at the doctor’s surgery, chemist or even the hospital! However this has sometimes happened to some of the people that I have taught Spanish to, so they were very thankful that we had covered this topic in Spanish – just in case!
Don’t let an illness spoil your holiday. If you learn just a few key phrases and learn to understand the questions that the doctor or pharmacist is likely to ask you, you will have a much more stress-free holiday.
In this blog post we will teach you a few of the key words and phrases to express feeling ill or being in pain. Continue reading
How to say Thank You & You’re Welcome in Spanish
Being able to say “thank you” and “you are welcome” is perhaps one of the first things anyone wants to learn to say in another language. It is the best way to show that you have good manners and appreciate what someone has done for you.
When you are learning Spanish and go to Spain on holiday you might need to say, “thank you” at the hotel when talking to the receptionist, when asking someone for directions in the street or when the taxi driver helps you with your luggage.
In this blog post we will teach you the most common ways to say thank you in Spanish: Continue reading
How to say that you don’t understand or are unsure in Spanish
When you are a beginner language learner you are often unsure about what you are saying and whether a) it is correct and b) if you are pronouncing it correctly. It is probably the first time you have actually spoken the words that you have learnt to a native speaker. It is only natural for language learners to have these doubts when they first start speaking in the target language.
Similarly, when you listen to their reply you may think you’ve understood what they’ve just said to you, however you may not be 100% sure. You will probably find it difficult to keep up with what they are saying – as we all know how quickly Spanish people speak!
In this blog post we will go through some useful expressions for you to say that you don’t understand or are unsure of what someone has said to you. If you learn some of these phrases they will help you keep the conversation going. There is nothing to be embarrassed about when saying that you don’t understand or asking for clarity – Spanish people like helping learners improve their Spanish! Continue reading
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