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.

Learn my other
Mexico tips and insights

Wonders of Mexico

Acapulco
Calakmul
Chichen Itza
Copper Canyon
Mitla
Monte Alban
Natl Mus of Anthropology
Palenque
Parque la Venta
San Miguel de Allende
Taxco
Teotihuacan
Uxmal

Related pages

Mexico wonders - Top 10 rankings
Mexico wonder map
Basic Spanish phrases for travelers
Mexican cuisine

 

Visit Mexico - Official tourism website

 

World's Top 100 Wonders
World's Top 1000 Wonders

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