One of the first things that beginners of Spanish who regularly travel to Spain want to learn is how to ask for directions and how to understand the answers you might get.
For some reason, people either love or hate this subject in Spanish.
It is just a case of learning the key verbs and words, you don’t need to understand long complex sentences. With the whole topic of asking for and understanding directions abroad, the most important thing is to be able to understand what the Spanish words mean and to be able to listen to them and interpret into English rather than learn to say them in Spanish, unless of course you are mistaken for a local and know the area really well so you can give directions. Continue reading
So you’ve booked your flight and hotel, packed your suitcase, got your euros, don’t forget your phrase book or at least learn some key phrases before you leave!
Everybody knows how to ask for two beers, “Dos cervezas, por favor”, but knowing just a few extra words and phrases can help you get much more out of a holiday. Taking the time to learn the following could make your next trip much easier and stress-free:
Spanish people are very polite so it is a good idea to learn how to greet them correctly.
Learning a foreign language offers several advantages. You can get better jobs, make new friends, watch films without having to read subtitles; but among the variety of good reasons to learn a foreign language, travelling abroad and experiencing a country fully has got to be at the top of the list of many passionate travellers. Today we will look at a wonderful place to practice your Spanish, Tulum. Continue reading
Hearing about people’s experiences in foreign hotels and after having faced problems when staying in hotels abroad myself, I thought this would be a good article for people learning Spanish, leading up to the peak holiday period. Read on to learn some key expressions which may just help you out on your next holiday in a Spanish-speaking country: Continue reading
Having been in an emergency situation myself a couple of times when living in Spain, I know how important the following phrases can be. Read on to find out how to ask for help or to offer your help if you ever find yourself in danger or an emergency situation:
ambulance: ambulancia
police: policía
fire brigade: bomberos
doctor: médico Continue reading
Hola, my name is José Lira, I live in Monterrey, México and this is my first guest post here at Viva Language Services (and I am very happy about that!). I was born in México but my accent (and thus my writing) leans toward American English because I lived there for some time, so please pardon any “English sacrileges” I might throw your way. Let’s just have fun and learn some Spanish together!
Today I would like to share a few things that caught my attention last time I visited Mexico City and use those situations to practice a few useful Spanish phrases you might use in a similar scenario. Who knows, you might learn something or you might buy a plane ticket by the end of this post. Let’s get started! Continue reading
check-in: la facturación
suitcase: la maleta
luggage: el equipaje
departures: salidas
arrivals: llegadas
to hire a car: alquilar un coche
to collect: recoger
to drop off: dejar
satellite navigation: el sistema de navegación
air conditioning: el aire acondicionado
a car: un coche
an estate car: un coche familiar
a van: una furgoneta
a child’s car seat: un asiento de bebé
boot: el maletero
keys: las llaves
driving licence: el carné de conducir Continue reading
gym: el gimnasio
training/workout: el entrenamiento
membership: la inscripción
to join: inscribirse / apuntarse
personal trainer: el entrenador personal Continue reading
el camarero/la camarera: waiter/waitress
la mesa: table
la carta: menu
la cuenta: bill
la propina: tip
el cuchillo: knife
el tenedor: fork
la cuchara: spoon
el vaso: glass
el plato: plate Continue reading