📚 Everyday Words - Palabras cotidianas

Aa ⏱ ≈ 17 minutes

Beginner Spanish · Everyday expressions

Useful Spanish Phrases

You may not have all the words yet, but you can still have a word with someone. A por favor helps you ask, a gracias helps you thank, and a más despacio gives your ears a chance to catch up.

Your next small win: make a polite request, thank someone, and ask for a slower explanation when you need one.

Polite Expressions

Good manners travel light. Start with these three phrases: one for the request, one for the thanks, and one for the reply.

Por favor.Please.
Gracias.Thank you.
De nada.You’re welcome.A reply to gracias.

Try it aloud

Someone holds the door for you. Say “Thank you.” Then imagine you held the door—how would you answer their thanks?

More ways to respond
Muchas gracias.Thank you very much.
Claro.Of course. / Sure.
No hay problema.No problem.
Me parece bien.Sounds good. / That sounds fine to me.

Asking for Help

A conversation can run ahead of you. These phrases help you catch up. You don’t have to understand every word to ask for the words again.

¿Me puede ayudar?Can you help me?A request using the usted form.
No entiendo.I don’t understand.
Más despacio, por favor.More slowly, please.
¿Puede repetir eso?Can you repeat that?

Different problems, different phrases: use más despacio for a slower pace and ¿Puede repetir eso? to hear something again.

Try it aloud

The person helping you is speaking too quickly. Ask them to speak more slowly, and include “please.”

When you need a little more support
No hablo mucho español.I don’t speak much Spanish.
¿Habla inglés?Do you speak English?Uses the usted form.
Necesito ayuda.I need help.
¿Puede hablar más despacio?Can you speak more slowly?
Lo siento, no entiendo.Sorry, I don’t understand.

Useful Everyday Questions

A menu, a camera, a Wi-Fi password: everyday life gives you plenty to ask about. These questions help you do more than point and hope.

¿Qué me recomienda?What do you recommend?Useful when choosing from a menu.
¿Tiene wifi?Do you have Wi-Fi?
¿Me puede tomar una foto?Can you take a photo of me?Addressing one person using usted.
¿Qué significa eso?What does that mean?

Try it aloud

You’re looking at a menu and want a recommendation. Ask the server what they recommend.

Add a little courtesy: ¿Me puede tomar una foto, por favor? adds “please” to the photo request. For a picture of us, use ¿Nos puede tomar una foto, por favor?

More questions for when you’re out
¿Está lejos?Is it far?
¿Tiene wifi gratis?Do you have free Wi-Fi?
¿Qué plato me recomienda?What dish do you recommend?
¿Me recomienda una cafetería?Can you recommend a café?
Tú and usted in requests

Many questions here use usted, a form often used for respectful or formal address. With someone you address as tú, the verb changes:

¿Me puede ayudar?Can you help me?Usted form.
¿Me puedes ayudar?Can you help me?Tú form.

Usage depends on the place and relationship. For now, learn one complete request you can use; the grammar can grow with your vocabulary.

Everyday Conversations

A phrase on its own is useful. A phrase with a reply has somewhere to go. Read both parts aloud, then try your lines without looking.

Asking someone to repeat

A
¿Puede repetir eso, por favor?Can you repeat that, please?
B
Claro.Of course.
A
Gracias.Thank you.
B
De nada.You’re welcome.

In a real exchange, B would repeat what they said after claro. Here, practice the request and the polite response.

Asking for a photo

A
¿Me puede tomar una foto, por favor?Can you take a photo of me, please?
B
Claro. No hay problema.Of course. No problem.
A
Muchas gracias.Thank you very much.
B
De nada.You’re welcome.

More Everyday Expressions

You don’t need to collect every phrase at once. Pick one you can picture yourself using today, and give it a little speaking time.

In shops and everyday plans
Solo estoy mirando.I’m just looking.
Gracias, pero solo estoy mirando.Thanks, but I’m just looking.
¡Qué buena idea!What a good idea!
Que tenga un buen día.Have a good day.Addressing one person using usted.
A quick greetings refresher
Hola.Hello.
Estoy bien.I’m well.
Hasta luego.See you later.
Buenas noches.Good evening. / Good night.
Regional expressions

Spanish has local favorites, too. Treat these as phrases to recognize first; the setting and tone help tell you what they mean.

Vale.Okay. / All right.A familiar expression of agreement in Spain.
¡Órale!Okay! / Come on! / Wow!Used in Mexico and parts of Central America; meaning depends on context.
¡Qué chévere!How cool!Used in Colombia and several other Latin American countries.

Practice: Choose the Right Phrase

Now give the phrases a job. Choose the answer for each situation, then say it aloud. These eight questions use the main lesson; the optional groups can wait.

Tap a speaker to hear a phrase using your device’s Spanish voice. Voice and accent depend on what’s available.