Basic Spanish phrases

Whether you want to wish someone well or apologize for standing on their toes, this Spanish language lesson is not to be missed. Listen carefully to the Spanish pronunciation and practice the phrases aloud until you feel confident!

Resources for further reading:

• The top ten tips to fast-tracking your Spanish
• Improve your pronunciation of Spanish words

How to pronounce basic Spanish phrases

Here are some of the most basic Spanish phrases to get you started. Further on in this lesson we will look at the pronunciation of these and more Spanish phrases.

• ¡Buena suerte! - Good luck!
• ¡Diviértete! - Have fun!
• ¡Con mucho amor! - Lots of love!
• ¡Buen viaje! - Have a good trip!
• ¡Buen provecho! - Enjoy your meal!
• ¡Salud! - Cheers!
• ¡Muy bien! - Well done!
• ¡Cuídate! - Take care! (casual)
• ¡Cuídese! - Take care! (formal)
• Los mejores deseos para… - Best wishes for...

Basic Spanish Phrases

¡Salud! has two usages… it literally means "health", but you use this word when giving a toast “cheers!” and also when someone sneezes--the Spanish equivalent of “Bless you!”

Another way to say “I’m sorry” is Perdón. This one is more of an “excuse me” phrase. Perdón, pero dónde están los baños? “Excuse me, but where are the bathrooms?”

One expression that is similar to Lo siento is Disculpeme. It's more like "Pardon me." And when you’re late for a meeting, you can say…

When you have to interrupt a meeting, say…

A polite way to ask someone to get out of your way, if you’re leaving a conversation, or leaving a table is to say…

If someone stepped on your toes and apologized you might want to say…

Why not check out some more lessons on Spanish phrases next? Here are some recommended lessons:

• Spanish medical phrases - just in case!
• How to pronounce "I love you" in Spanish like a native speaker.
• Being able to talk about the weather in Spanish can be a wonderful ice-breaker when chatting to locals.

See you soon! ¡Hasta pronto!

Mauricio Evlampieff: Rocket Spanish