Yes, no and the essentials in Spanish
The small words that carry half of every conversation, and the ones that rescue it. Play the ten Spanish words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Spanish phrases in this lesson
- Sísee
- Yes
- Nonoh
- No
- ValeBAH-leh
- Okay
- No entiendonoh ehn-TYEHN-doh
- I don't understand
- ¿Habla inglés?AH-blah een-GLEHS
- Do you speak English?
- ¿Puede repetir?PWEH-deh reh-peh-TEER
- Can you repeat that?
- Más despacio, por favormahs dehs-PAH-thyoh, por fah-VOR
- Slowly, please
- ¿Qué es esto?keh ehs EHS-toh
- What is this?
- Necesito...neh-theh-SEE-toh
- I need...
- ¿Me puede ayudar?meh PWEH-deh ah-yoo-DAR
- Can you help me?
With the accent it means yes; without it, si means "if". In speech nobody will confuse you.
Same word as English. Spaniards often double it for emphasis: "no, no". Softened refusal: "no, gracias".
The single most Spanish word in Spain, said constantly: okay, fine, deal, got it. Often doubled: "vale, vale". In Latin America people say "está bien" or "okey" instead.
Your honest escape hatch. Add "más despacio, por favor" (mahs dehs-PAH-syoh), slower please, and most people will happily repeat at half speed.
The polite form. Young people and anyone in tourism usually manage some English, but attempting Spanish first noticeably warms up the interaction, especially outside big cities.
Where Spanish is spoken
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