Spanish phrases and expressions you can learn today

Start learning the most common Spanish phrases

As soon as you feel confident enough using your vocabulary of individual words, it’s time to move to phrases. When you learn whole Spanish phrases, it’s easier for your brain to make the right connections fast. Ready? Here are some of the most common Spanish phrases:

    Greetings
  • Hola: Hello
  • Buenas: Hi (informal)
  • Buenas noches: Good evening
  • Bienvenido: Welcome
  • Buenas noches: Good night
  • Que te vaya bien: Have a good day
  • If you want to learn more Spanish greetings, check out this short guide on how to say 'hello' in Spanish.

    Interests and hobbies
  • ¿Qué te gusta hacer?: What do you like to do?
  • Me gusta / No me gusta…: I like / I don’t like…
  • Me encanta…: I love…
  • No me interesa.: I am not interested.
  • Me gusta ir al museo.: I like going to the museum.


  • Celebrations and well wishes
  • ¡Feliz cumpleaños!: Happy birthday!
  • ¡Buena suerte!: Good luck!
  • ¡Bien hecho!: Well done!
  • ¡Cuídate!: Take care
  • ¡Felicitaciones!: Congratulations
  • ¡Salud!: Cheers!

    Dealing with problems or asking for help
  • ¿Puede ayudarme?: Can you help me?
  • No entiendo: I don’t understand!
  • No (lo) sé: I don’t know!
  • No hablo español: I don't speak Spanish
  • Estoy perdido: I’m lost

People learning Spanish

Common Spanish phrases and expressions

There are plenty of useful Spanish phrases and expressions for commuting, shopping, traveling, ordering, and more. However, learning the most common ones as a beginner helps you in your first conversations.

Top 10 Spanish phrases and sentences you need to know

We have prepared a list of common Spanish expressions that will help you have a basic conversation in Spanish in no time. Let's dig in!

  1. 1. Buenos días. = Good morning.

    A little politeness goes a long way in a Spanish-speaking country. A simple "hi" is enough to understand how friendly Spanish speakers really are. Here's how they say "Good morning" in Spanish:
    Now enjoy being greeted by a native speaker:

    Buenos días.

  2. 2. Buenas tardes. = Good afternoon.

    But what if it's later in the day and you want to greet someone from Argentina? Well, “Good afternoon” in Spanish is "Buenas tardes".
    Now listen to how a Spanish speaker would pronounce it:

    Buenas tardes.

  3. 3. Me llamo Mondly. = My name is Mondly.

    Let's say your name is Mondly; you are traveling to Costa Rica and meeting someone on the street. To introduce yourself, you can say "Me llamo Mondly" which means "My name is Mondly" in Spanish. Listen to how a person from Spain would pronounce this phrase:
    Listen to how a person from Spain would pronounce this phrase:

    Me llamo Mondly.

  4. 4. Encantado de conocerte. = I'm pleased to meet you.

    Now that you have introduced yourself, a Spanish speaker would usually respond with "Encantado de conocerte" which means "I'm pleased to meet you" in Spanish. Here's how to properly pronounce this phrase in Spanish:
    Listen to a native Spanish speaker saying that exact sentence to you right now:

    Encantado de conocerte.

  5. 5. ¿Cómo estás? = How are you?

    At this point, it might be polite to ask the person you are having a conversation with "How are you?" in Spanish.
    "Como estas?" is really easy to pronounce. Here's how to say it:

    ¿Cómo estás?

  6. 6. Bien, gracias. ¿Y usted? = Fine, thanks. And you?

    Apply the unspoken rule of politeness everywhere you go and many doors shall joyously open in your path. If a Spanish speaker asks you first how are you doing, this is how you can answer politely:
    Here's a native speaker showing you how to say "Bien, gracias. ¿Y usted?":

    Bien, gracias. ¿Y usted?

  7. 7. Me gustaría una cerveza. = I’d like a beer.

    And because you might find yourself in a bar when visiting Mexico, you might have to learn how to order a beer in Spanish.
    Let a native Spanish speaker show you how it's done:

    Me gustaría una cerveza.

  8. 8. Lo siento. = I'm sorry.

    There are times when what you ordered is out of stock, so a bartender might say "Lo siento" which means "I'm sorry" in Spanish.
    Listen to how it's pronounced:

    Lo siento.

  9. 9. ¡Hasta pronto! = See you soon!

    The most suitable way of addressing someone you will meet again shortly – maybe even tomorrow – is "¡Hasta pronto!" which means "See you soon" in Spanish.
    Delight your senses with a Spanish speaker saying "¡Hasta pronto!":

    ¡Hasta pronto!

  10. 10. Adiós. = Goodbye.

    Are you ready to go? Short and sweet, "Adiós" is the perfect way of saying "Goodbye" in Spanish. Here's how a person from Spain would pronounce it:
    Here's how a person from Spain would pronounce it:

    Adiós.

Common Questions in Spanish

Spanish landmark

Are you looking for answers? First, let’s learn how to ask the right questions. Once you know the basic Spanish question words, you are ready to inquire about anything.
¿Cómo te llamas?: What’s your name?
¿A qué te dedicas?: What do you do for a living?
¿Cuánto cuesta?: How much is this?
¿Qué hora es?: What time is it?
¿Me puede ayudar?: Can you help me?
¿Puedes traerme … por favor?: Can you bring me … please?
¿Cuándo desearía venir?: When would you like to come in?
¿Qué desea beber?: What would you like to drink?
¿Vosotros tomáis el almuerzo juntos?: Do you eat lunch together?
¿Estás listo?: Are you ready?
¿Te gustaría salir esta tarde?: Would you like to go out this evening?
¿Qué me recomienda usted?: What would you recommend?
¿Qué es esto?: What is this?
¿A dónde vas?: Where are you going?
¿Puede decirme cuándo ocurrió esto?: Can you tell me when this happened?

Spanish landmark

The benefits of learning the most common Spanish phrases first

Immerse yourself in Spanish from day 1

Immersion is one of the most effective ways of learning a new language and not having the means to travel to a Spanish-speaking country shouldn’t keep you from experiencing it. Using Mondly, you’ll immerse yourself in Spanish from day 1 with real Spanish conversations.

Have real conversations in Spanish today

Once you learn a few basic sentences in Spanish, you will have the knowledge to start your first Spanish conversation. That’s why, at Mondly, we’ve created experiences that simulate real-life conversations to get you speaking Spanish in no time.

Become fluent in Spanish quicker

Starting with the basics, we quickly lay a foundation for you to learn more complex Spanish phrases and sentences. We gradually build your Spanish knowledge so you get fluent faster than you could imagine.

Feel how easy to learn the Spanish language can be

Every language experience should start gradually, from the easiest to the more complex concepts. Starting with the easiest and most common Spanish phrases, you will feel confident in your ability to learn a new language. That’s one of the core principles Mondly is built on.

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