Spanish phrases

candid Mexico tips

 

Phrase sheet

Your travel experience in Mexico will be richer by learning these basic phrases:

My name is ...
Me llamo es…  may YAH-moh es

What is your name?
Como se llama?  KOH-moh say YAH-mah

How are you?
Como estas?  KOH-moh es-TAHS

Hi (casual)
Hola  OH-lah

Nice to meet you
Mucho gusto  MOO-choh GOO-stoh

See you
Hasta la vista  ah-STAF lah-VEES-tah

Goodbye
Adios  ah-dee-YOHS

Good morning
Buenos dias  BWAY-nohs DEE-yahs

Good afternoon
Buenas tardes  BWAY-nahs TAR-dehs

Good evening/Good night
Buenas noches  BWAY-nahs NOH-chehs

Pardon me
Perdoneme  pehr-DOH-neh-may

I’m sorry
Lo siento  loh see-YEN-toh

Please
Por favor  por fah-VOHR

Thank you
Gracias  GRAH-see-yas

You’re welcome/Don’t mention it
De nada  day NAH-dah

What time is it?
Que hora es  kay OH’-rah es

What?
Que  kay

Who?
Quien  KEE’-yen

Why?
Por que  Pohr KAY

Yes
Si  see

No
No  noh

How?
Como  KOH-moh

Where?
Donde  DOHN-day

When?
Cuando? KWAN’-doh

Closed
Cerrado  sehr-RAH-doh

Open
Abierto  ah-bee-YEHR-toh

Bad
Mal  mahl

Good
Bien  bee-YEN

The menu…
La carta  la KAHR-tah

I’d like…
Quisiera  kee-see-EHR-ah

Is there?
Hay  aye

How much?
Cuanto  KWAN’-toh

The check
La cuenta la KWEN-tah

Do you understand?
Comprende?  kohm-PREN-day

I don’t understand
No comprendo  noh kohm-PREN-doh

Do you speak English?
Habla Ingles  AH-blah een-GLAYS

Helpful Spanish
language pointers

Letter H
This letter is not pronounced. Remember, it is always silent.

Double L
Always pronounce the double L as a Y sound. For instance, the llama animal is correctly pronounced yah-mah.

Syllables
In Spanish, each syllable is almost always spoken separately and distinctly. Do not run them together. For example, for "gracias", say grah'-see-yas, not grah'-seeas.

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