Do you remember any of your high school Spanish? Probably not if you never continued. Spanish is becoming one of the most useful languages since it’s spoken in so many countries and you can travel half the world by knowing Spanish.
If you want to learn a few phrases for traveling, it’ll be extremely helpful. Spanish is not as impossible as you might think – there’s actually quite a few words that are either the same or very similar to English.
If you’re traveling in any Spanish speaking country, our guide will help immensely as it’s full of basic and important words and phrases for traveling.
Let’s Learn Spanish!
Click here to download the pocket guide
Spanish Introduction
I know that the language barrier can sometimes be intimidating and every traveler goes through a “I wish I knew how to say that!” moment while on their journeys. Trust me, I was in many situations while traveling in Central America where I wished I knew how to speak Spanish to be able to communicate properly.
In Costa Rica, locals love it when foreigners try to speak Spanish. You can just know some basic Spanish and they’ll be happy to talk to you, however broken it might be. It’s the effort that counts! (No, you can’t just put “O” at the end of words…well except for architect – arquitecto).
So let’s get started!
Basic Spanish For Beginners
This is just a taste of some important words in Spanish so let’s move on to the rest!
Learn How to Speak Spanish – Survival Spanish for Travelers
In these sections we will write out the words in Spanish and English translation and how to pronounce it.
Remember, these words and phrases are for Costa Rica. Other countries might use different words and some words may mean something completely different. Not to mention their accents are different as well!
Basic Words
These are the basic words that will help you get through your day with ease and you can use these anywhere in the world.
Yes – Si (See)
No – No
Fine – Bien (bee-en)
Bad – Malo (mahl-o)
Please – Por favor (pohr fah-VOR)
Thank you – Gracias (gra-SEE-ahs)
Thank you very much – Muchas gracias (moo-chahs gra-SEE-ahs)
You’re welcome – De nada (deh NA-da)
Excuse me – Con permiso (kohn pehr-MEE-soh) Use if you need to squeeze by somebody.
Pardon me – Perdóname (pehr-DOH-nah-meh) Use if you accidentally bump into someone.
I’m sorry – Lo siento (low see-EHN-to)
Remember to say each word out loud a few times so it commits to your long term memory. It may feel weird at first but don’t worry this is one of the easiest and best ways to learn Spanish.
Greetings
Learning friendly Spanish greetings will help you take the basics and use them in conversation with people.
Hello – Hola (Oh-la)
Bye – Adiós (ah-dee-OHS)
Good morning – Buenos días (booEHN-os DEE-as)
Good afternoon – Buenas tardes (booEHN-as TAR-dehs)
Good night – Buenas noches (booEHN-as NO-chehs)
How are you? – Cómo estás? (KOH-moh ehs-TA)
What is your name? – Cómo se llama? (KOH-moh seh JA-mah)
My name is – Mi nombre es (me nu-om-ber-ay ess)
Nice to meet you – Mucho gusto (MOO-choh GOOS-toh)
Where are you from? – De dónde eres? (Deh-DONH-day AIR-ess)
I am from … – Yo soy de … (Jo su-oy deh)
How old are you? – Cuántos años tienes? (Ca-wan-TOS anh-yos TEE-en-es)
I am … years old – Tengo … años (tuh-ang-go … an-yos)
See you later – Hasta luego (AHS-ta looEH-go)
Have a good day! – Tenga un buen día! (tang-ga oo-n booEHN dee-ah)
These are some easy starting conversation words to practice. Try saying the words slowly out loud a couple times and then speed up when you feel comfortable.
Common Questions/Phrases
These are very important common phrases that can help you in nearly all situations. Even knowing just a few of these can help communicate your needs much easier to whoever is listening.
Where is the… ? – Dónde está … ? (Dohn-day eh-stah) Insert what you are looking for: hotel, market, beach, etc.
I need the bathroom – Necesito el baño (NUH-ess-seh-see-to el BAH-neeo)
I need to go to the … – Necesito ir a …(NUH-ess-seh-see-to eer AH…)
How do I get to …? – Como llego … (KOH-moh-jeh-go)
I am hungry –Tengo hambre (tang-GO OM-bray)
I am thirsty – Tengo sed (tang-GO seh-DUH)
Is it OK? – Esta bien? (eh-stah bee-en) Use when you are asking if it is OK to do something.
What time is it? – Qué hora es? (kay or-AH ess)
Language/Communication
These are extremely helpful if there is no around who speaks your native language or when you are trying to understand something in Spanish.
Do you speak… (English) ? – Hablas inglés? (a-blah een-glis). Insert other language such as francés, italiano, ruso, alemán, etc..
I don’t speak Spanish – No hablo español (no a-blo es-pan-yol)
I speak a little Spanish – Yo hablo un poco de español (jo a-blo oo-n poh-coh deh es-pan-yol)
How do you say … in Spanish? – (Como se dice … en español? Co-mo say dee-say … ee-n ES-pan-yol)
What does … mean in English? – Que significa … en ingles (kay cig-ni-fee-kah… ee-n een-glays)
How do you spell it? – Como se escribe … ? (Co-mo say es-cree-bay)
I don’t understand – No entiendo (no en-tee-en-doh)
Speak slower please – Por favor, habla más despacio (pohr fah-VOR, AH-blah mahs dehs-PAHS-ee-oh)
Can you repeat please – Podrías repetir por favor (poh-dree-AHS reh-peh-tee-eer pohr fah-VOR)
Emergency Phrases
Now let’s move onto emergency phrases… very useful in case of a crisis!
Help! –Auxilio! (AH-oox-eel-ee-oh)
I am sick –Estoy enfermo (a) (ehs-TOY en-FER-mo)
I need help –Necesito ayuda (ness-es-ee-toh ah-ju-dah)
I had an accident – Tuve un accidente < (too-vay oon ack-see-den-tay)
I’ve been robbed – Me han robado (a) (may on roe-bah-do)
I lost my passport – Perdí mi pasaporte (pea-er-dee mi pass-ah-por-tey)
I am lost – Estoy perdido (ehs-TOY pehr-DEE-doh)
I don’t feel well –No me siento bien (no may see-yen-toe bee-en)
I need a doctor –Necesito un médico (ness-ess-ee-toh oon MED-ee-koh)
Send the police –Envie a la policia (en-vee-ay ah la poh-lee-see-ah)
Congratulations! We have just covered some of the most crucial general words and phrases to know: introductions, communication and emergencies.
These are words that can help you the most on your travels and are the basis to cover in any foreign language.
Try practicing when you are out and about and see how much you improve after saying the words just one or two times. Gets a lot easier right?
Numbers
One – Uno (oo-no)
Two – Dos (doe-ss)
Three – Tres (ter-ess)
Four – Cuatro (koo-ah-tro)
Five – Cinco (seen-koh)
Six – Seis (sa-ay-ess)
Seven – Siete (see-ye-tay)
Eight – Ocho (oh-cho)
Nine – Nueve (nu-ev-ay)
Ten – Diez (dee-es)
Eleven – Once (own-say)
Twelve – Doce (doe-say)
Thirteen – Trece (trey-say)
Fourteen – Catorce (kah-tor-say)
Fifteen – Quince (keen-say)
Sixteen – Dieciséis (dee-es-see-SAY-SS)
Seventeen – Diecisiete (dee-es-see-eh-tay)
Eighteen – Dieciocho (dee-es-see-oh-cho)
Nineteen – Diecinueve (dee es-see-NU-ev-ay)
Twenty – Veinte (Vang-tay)
Thirty – Treinta (TRE-ang-ta)
Forty – Cuarenta (kuh-REN-tah)
Fifty – Cincuenta (seen-KUH-EN-tah)
One hundred – Cien (see-en)
Two hundred – Doscientos (doe-SEE-en-tos)
Five hundred – Quinientos (kee-NI-en-tos)
One thousand – Mil (me-ill)
Five thousand – Cinco mil (seen-koh me-ill)
Ten thousand – Diez mil (dee-es me-ill)
One hundred thousand – Cien mil (see-en me-ill)
One million – Un millón (un mee-JOH-nuh)
In Costa Rica, the exchange rate is around 500 to 1 so it is important to know “thousand” and “five hundred.” So 2000 colones ($4) is dos mil, 10,000 colones ($20) is diez mil and 20,500 colones ($41) is veinte mil quinientos.
Quinientos is kind of a tricky number to remember but it is important because you will hear it often when shopping in Costa Rica.
Shopping
During your trip, you will most likely want to buy some souvenirs and such. It is helpful to know some shopping phrases as not everyone who works at souvenirs stores may speak English.
Psst… learn what the tipping customs are in Costa Rica too! It’s helpful to know!
I’m just looking – Solo estoy mirando (soh-lo EE-stoy MER-an-do)
How much does it cost? – Cuanto cuesta? (kooAN-to KWEHS-ta)
I’m looking for … – Estoy buscando … (ees-toy BOO-scan-doh) Insert what you’re looking for.
What sizes do you have? – Que tallas tienes? (kay TAH-jas tee-en-es)
Can I pay with card? – Puedo pagar con tarjeta?(puh-EH-do PAH-gar kon tar-HEH-ta)
Can I try it on? – Me lo puedo probar? (may lo puh-EH-do PRO-bar)
Do you have other colors? – Tienes otro colores? (tee-en-is OH-tro KOH-lor-ess)
Are there any sales? – Hay descuentos? (eye dis-COO-EN-toes)
I’ll buy it – Lo voy a comprar (lo va-oy a kohm-prah)
I like it – Me gusta (may GOO-sta)
In Central America, it is normal to ask for discounts or bargain. For tourists, it will be helpful to know numbers so you can bargain a little bit to see if you can get things cheaper. It never hurts to ask!
Restaurant and Eating Out
Most places have their menu in Spanish and English and the majority of the workers speaks English to some extent. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t practice your Spanish and the staff will be much appreciative. That is what I call a win-win situation ^_^
The bill please – La cuenta por favor (La KWEN-ta por fuh-vore)
Where is a good restaurant? – Donde esta un buen restaurante? (Dohn-day eh-stah oo-n booEHN res-tor-on-tay)
I would like to see the menu – Quiero ver el menú (KEE-air-o vuh-air ell men-OO)
I would like to order now – Me gustaría ordenar ahora (may goo-sta-REE-ah OR-dehn-ar a-OR-ah)
I’d like a table for two – Quisiera una mesa para dos (KEE-see-ay-rahoo-nah MEH-sah PAH-rah do-ess)
What do you recommend? – Que nos recomienda? (kay no-ess reh-KOH-me-en-dah)
A beer please – Una cerveza por favor (oo-na ser-VEH-sah por fuh-vore)
I am allergic to … – Soy alérgico a … (soy ah-LER-he-co ah)
It’s so good! – Muy bueno!(moo-ey boo-en-no)
Do you have dessert? – Tienen postres? (tee-en-in POH-stir-ays)
Que rico!
Hotels
I have a reservation – Tengo una reservación (tang-goh oo-nah reh-SER-vah-see-ohn)
What’s the nightly rate? – Cuanto es la tarifa por noche? (kooAN-toh ess la tah-REE-fah por no-chay)
Do you have rooms available? – Tiene habitaciones disponibles (tee-en-ay ab-ee-tah-SEE-onn-ess DEHS-pohn-ee-blay-ess)
I’d like a double room – Quisiera una habitación doble (KEE-see-ay-rah un-nah ah-bee-tah-SEE-ohn doh-buh-ley)
May I see the room? – Me permite ver la habitación? (may pehr-MEE-tay vehr la ah-bee-tah-SEE-ohn)
I’d like to stay for … nights – Me gustaria quedarme por … noches(may goo-sta-REE-ah kay-DAR-may por… no-chuh-ess)
Is breakfast included? – El desayuno esta incluido?(el dess-ah-JU-no ehs-tah en-CLU-ee-doh)
Is there a restaurant here? – Hay restaurante? (eye res-TOR-an-tay)
Felicitaciones! You have just learned how to speak Spanish such as introducing yourself, asking for directions, ordering at a restaurant, counting, buying things, asking about hotels, calling for help and so much more!
Download Our Free Survival Spanish Pocket Guide
This pocket guide is divided into 11 different sections: Basics, directions, greetings, emergencies, common questions, shopping, numbers, time, restaurant, hotels and activities.
In the sections are all the phrases listed above plus a few extra helpful ones. Once you know a little bit, you’ll want to keep expanding your vocabulary and keep learning Spanish!
We created this guide so that you can just slide it in your pocket, take it out whenever you need to look something up or just want to review the words in your downtime.
It never hurts to know more words just in case and these are phrases that are helpful to know in any language.
Remember, practice is key! Say these words to yourself more than once and try to integrate them on your trip. The more you know and the more confident you are, the easier it will be.
Click here to download the pocket guide
Taking it to the next level
I’m the kind of person who learns best by reading and writing things down. If I see it in my own handwriting, I remember it much faster. There’s a lot of ways to learn how to speak Spanish and everyone is a different learner but I don’t learn well just by talking to people! They would say a word to me, I would ask what it meant and then I’d forget the next second.
There are plenty of programs, apps and software out there to help you learn and I did trial and error with several before I found the one that I really loved – Duolingo. It’s free, it’s fun and interactive.
Some other programs are Rosetta Stone, Rocket Languages, Babbel, Duolingo, Transparent Language and others. There are tons! Do some research and look around to see which one would help you the most and fit your schedule. I personally learned Spanish using Duolingo and it’s free!
Already know how to speak Spanish? Then learn some Costa Rican slang! Here are Yeison’s favorite Costa Rican sayings.
Tuanis mae!
Dwight Huffman says
We just returned from a Monte Verde – La Fortuna – Manuel Antonio itinerary, and found English to be readily spoken at all three. The in-between places (as we travelled to each), no as much. Manuel Antoino seemed especially geared towards US residents, and English was more prevalent on signage than Spanish there.
Nadia Aprahamian says
Your website is wonderful – I’ve been using it to plan almost my entire 2-week trip! And I really appreciate the pocket guide (I took French in high school … go figure). But I’d like to make a suggestion: please find some space to add words for foods and other items necessary in a restaurant. For example: beef, chicken, pork, rice, bread, potatoes, fork, knife, glass, plate, chair, table, etc. It would make it easier to read a menu and request necessities in a restaurant.
But Thank You for all the good advice on this site!
Sammi says
Hi Anne, usually you will find pet stuff (cages, food, litter, etc.) at veterinarian clinics since many of them have a pet shop. Depending on which town it is, they usually have everything for cats and dogs and sometimes birds for the bigger clinics.
For real estate, many of the foreigners go with realtors from the US or Canada since they speak English and they feel more comfortable. It will be more expensive going with a US or Canadian real estate agency/realtor (they give Gringo prices) but they’ll have someone who speaks English and uses Escrow and an English speaking attorney so that is the trade off.
==
Chris says
Thanks for providing a useful guide. This will be our 3rd trip to CR in Jan 2018. Each yr we’re getting a bit bolder in our travels. Thanks for all the useful info you’ve provided.
Sammi says
Hi Chris, you’re very welcome and glad you find the blog useful!
Chris Patterson says
Back again on my way to Ecuador and Peru and had to get my trusty pocket guide printed out again! Thanks so much, it helped me a lot in CR last year and hope it does me well again this year! I still don’t know much Spanish, but think I will be able to get by largely with the guide! Safe Travels!
Sammi says
Hi Chris, have a great time in Ecuador and Peru and glad the pocket guide is helpful! All the important words and phrases for travelers are on there 🙂 Thanks for reading!
Aronas says
I loved it i hope you can make more videos. 😉
Sammi says
Thanks Aronas, we actually have a Youtube channel! You can check out all our videos here: https://www.youtube.com/mytanfeet
Kristen says
This is great. Thx. Would love more videos 🙂
Sammi says
You’re welcome! We’ll start working on them 🙂
Iha says
What about the “No – No (see)” up there?
Isn’t it “No” in spanish too?
Just saying.
Sammi says
Yup! No=No 🙂
Melinda Smith says
is it possible to put the Spanish pocket guide front and back into 1 pdf document so that my printer can just print double sided?
Keene says
This is so great and thanks for putting the lessons and pocket guide together. It provides a great start to re-remembering my Spanish lessons from oh-so-long ago. Do you by any chance have the pocket guide in just black and white? I only have a laser printer, no color, and the colored backgrounds don’t print well (can’t see the text as well). In any case, great job.
Sammi says
Hi Keene, glad it’s helpful. We don’t have it in black and white but you can choose to print in black and white under settings or preferences for your printer.
Liz says
Thank you thank you thank – or better yet – Gracias, Gracias, Gracias!!!! We are headed to your area this coming weekend and are so excited. I know that this little booklet will be a huge help.
Again – Gracias!!!
Liz and Dan
Nicky says
Hie Sammy,great stuff i have gone thru it i hv already mastered some phrases,Mucho Gracias 😉
Sammi says
Con mucho gusto!
Dan Gaskell says
This will come in very handy!! I downloaded this and will be practicing starting today. Thank you so much for this handy little guide!
Sammi says
Hi Dan! You are very welcome, buena suerte! 🙂
emma says
I love this website it is so helpful! Gracias!! 🙂
nancye says
I recently found Fluencia, which gives you 15 free lessons in really good interactive format. Then you have the option to pay $7.95/mo for 1 year. Love the pocket guide, printed it out today!
Sammi says
Oh I haven’t heard of that one! Will need to check it out. Yay happy to hear you like the pocket guide!! Hope it comes in handy 🙂
nancye says
Love the downloadable Spanish survival guide and your video. This will be so useful when I travel next month. Writing down words is a great idea, helps to imprint in your brain!
Sammi says
Thanks Nancye! Glad to hear it’s helpful 🙂
Jerry says
When I first started going to Costa Rica I thought I would be clever and memorize phrases I thought I would need to use, like asking how to get back to my hotel. The plan was absolutely brilliant, and I was able to ask the questions flawlessly. Unfortunately, when they started rattling off the answer at 100 mph, all I could do was stare with a blank look on my face.
Sammi says
Haha yeah they talk very fast. It’s one thing to learn how to speak but you have to learn how to listen too!
Samia says
I love it this is just what I’ve been looking for!
Graciac
yeison says
I am glad you like Samia, let us know if we can help you on anything else !
Nathaniel says
This is what I have been lookinf for to help me in business, just meeting people.
Brian says
Expanding a little on the Ticos enjoying foreigners who try to speak Spanish. Sometimes they seem a little put off by you speaking really bad/basic Spanish. Especially at non touristy stores, but if you say “Estoy aprendiendo español” (I am learning Spanish) their attitudes seem to completely change. They are more patient with my broken Spanish, even try to teach me words. Twice they immediately said, “I am learning English”; they were just to shy/embarrassed with their skills to communicate with them publicly.
Sammi says
True! They appreciate anyone who tries, luckily I’ve never had any bad experiences with anyone when I first started learning. At least in Coco the locals love it even if its so broken because they’re used to gringos and Canadians who come here to live for years – even decades and don’t even know how to say how are you!
James Hicks says
Thank you for this lesson. Going to memorize it. Who says you must pay for Spanish lessons? They are free at mytanfeet.com. Awesome.
Sammi says
You’re welcome James! I’m glad it helped. We just want to help those who are beginning to learn so it’s not intimidating. Tuanis ! 🙂
tiffany says
Hi. thank you so much for the Spanish guide. It is perfect!!!!! My husband and I are going to Costa Rica next month. I cannot figure out how to download the guide though. I saw the comment that says to share it first, but I do not see where or how to share it. I pinned it on Pinterest though. Thank you!
Sammi says
Hi Tiffany! You have to share it in the box that says Download our Spanish guide here – you can choose Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus. Then the box will open and the guide will be there in PDF form. Hope this helps! 🙂 Glad you found it useful!
tiffany says
I still can’t download it. The only thing that mentions “downloading the Spanish guide” is a subtitle that cannot be clicked on. I have pinned and liked the page from the bar at the left. Could it be that it is not showing up on my computer? I have looked all over this page at least 20 times.
tiffany says
It just showed up! Yay!
Sammi says
Oh good!! 🙂
ebenezer says
how do I download the pocket guide
Sammi says
Hi Ebenezer! First you have to share it in the box that says Download the free Spanish survival guide and then you will be able to download the PDF from there! Let me know if you have any more troubles with it!
Casey @ A Cruising Couple says
Okay- I’m sending Dan over here ASAP! What an awesome resource guys!!
Sammi says
Thanks! Maybe we should add a list of country names in Spanish, just in case Dan forgets estados unidos 😛 hehe
Rachel M says
I am giving it a try.
Sammi says
Hi Rachel! Let us know if it is helpful and if you have any suggestions to make it better!
Tiffany B. says
Tell me if it works please.
Thanks!