100 Basic Spanish Phrases Every Beginner Should Know


Learning Spanish is easier when you have a set of essential phrases ready for daily conversation. Whether traveling, working with Spanish speakers, or starting your language journey, these 100 basic Spanish phrases will help you communicate confidently from day one.

We’ve organized them into practical categories, so you can memorize and use them efficiently.

1. Greetings and Farewells

  1. Hola – Hello

  2. Buenos días – Good morning

  3. Buenas tardes – Good afternoon

  4. Buenas noches – Good evening / Good night

  5. ¿Qué tal? – How’s it going?

  6. ¿Cómo estás? – How are you?

  7. Estoy bien, gracias – I’m fine, thank you

  8. ¿Y tú? – And you?

  9. Mucho gusto – Nice to meet you

  10. Adiós – Goodbye

2. Polite Expressions

  1. Por favor – Please

  2. Gracias – Thank you

  3. Muchas gracias – Thank you very much

  4. De nada – You’re welcome

  5. Perdón – Excuse me / Sorry

  6. Lo siento – I’m sorry

  7. Con permiso – Excuse me (to pass by)

  8. Disculpe – Excuse me (formal)

  9. No hay problema – No problem

  10. Bienvenido / Bienvenida – Welcome

3. Common Questions

  1. ¿Cómo te llamas? – What’s your name?

  2. Me llamo… – My name is…

  3. ¿De dónde eres? – Where are you from?

  4. Soy de… – I’m from…

  5. ¿Cuántos años tienes? – How old are you?

  6. Tengo… años – I am… years old

  7. ¿Qué hora es? – What time is it?

  8. ¿Dónde está…? – Where is…?

  9. ¿Cuánto cuesta? – How much does it cost?

  10. ¿Hablas inglés? – Do you speak English?

4. Directions and Transportation

  1. A la derecha – To the right

  2. A la izquierda – To the left

  3. Todo recto – Straight ahead

  4. Aquí – Here

  5. Allí – There

  6. Cerca – Near

  7. Lejos – Far

  8. ¿Dónde está la estación de tren? – Where is the train station?

  9. Necesito un taxi – I need a taxi

  10. ¿Cuánto cuesta un billete a…? – How much is a ticket to…?

5. Eating and Drinking

  1. Tengo hambre – I’m hungry

  2. Tengo sed – I’m thirsty

  3. ¿Me puede dar…? – Can you give me…?

  4. La cuenta, por favor – The check, please

  5. Quisiera… – I would like…

  6. ¿Qué recomienda? – What do you recommend?

  7. Delicioso – Delicious

  8. Agua – Water

  9. Café – Coffee

  10. Té – Tea

6. Shopping and Numbers

  1. ¿Cuánto cuesta esto? – How much is this?

  2. Quiero comprar… – I want to buy…

  3. Solo estoy mirando – I’m just looking

  4. Barato – Cheap

  5. Caro – Expensive

  6. Uno – One

  7. Dos – Two

  8. Tres – Three

  9. Cuatro – Four

  10. Cinco – Five

  11. Seis – Six

  12. Siete – Seven

  13. Ocho – Eight

  14. Nueve – Nine

  15. Diez – Ten

7. Emergencies

  1. Ayuda – Help

  2. ¡Fuego! – Fire!

  3. ¡Socorro! – Help! / Emergency!

  4. Llama a la policía – Call the police

  5. Necesito un médico – I need a doctor

  6. Estoy perdido / perdida – I’m lost

  7. No entiendo – I don’t understand

  8. ¿Puede repetir? – Can you repeat?

  9. Estoy enfermo / enferma – I’m sick

  10. Hay un accidente – There’s an accident

8. Socializing and Small Talk

  1. ¿Qué haces? – What are you doing?

  2. ¿Qué tal tu día? – How was your day?

  3. Me gusta – I like it

  4. No me gusta – I don’t like it

  5. ¿Tienes hermanos? – Do you have siblings?

  6. Sí – Yes

  7. No – No

  8. Tal vez – Maybe

  9. Claro – Of course

  10. Por supuesto – Of course / Naturally

9. Time and Weather

  1. Hoy – Today

  2. Mañana – Tomorrow

  3. Ayer – Yesterday

  4. Ahora – Now

  5. Más tarde – Later

  6. Hace calor – It’s hot

  7. Hace frío – It’s cold

  8. Está lloviendo – It’s raining

  9. Está nevando – It’s snowing

  10. Hace sol – It’s sunny

10. Useful Phrases for Travel

  1. ¿Dónde está el baño? – Where is the bathroom?

  2. Necesito ayuda – I need help

  3. ¿Puede ayudarme? – Can you help me?

  4. Estoy perdido / perdida – I’m lost

  5. ¿Puede hablar más despacio? – Can you speak more slowly?

Tips for Memorizing These Phrases

  • Practice Daily: Use flashcards or spaced repetition apps like Anki or Quizlet

  • Use in Context: Speak aloud or write sentences using the phrases

  • Immerse Yourself: Listen to Spanish podcasts, watch shows, or interact with native speakers

  • Group by Theme: Organizing phrases into categories improves recall

Conclusion

Mastering these 100 basic Spanish phrases gives beginners a strong foundation to communicate in real-life situations. By practicing daily and applying phrases in context, you’ll gain confidence, improve fluency, and prepare for travel, work, or study opportunities in Spanish-speaking environments.

With consistent practice, you’ll soon move beyond these basics and start forming your own conversations naturally in Spanish.

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