Spanish Phrasebook: Everyday Sentences and Practice Plan

A Spanish phrasebook is useful only when it helps you handle real moments: greeting someone, ordering food, checking into a hotel, asking for directions, or explaining a problem.

Use the phrases below as a speaking bank, not a list to stare at. Pick one situation, practise the Spanish out loud, and adjust the details until the line sounds like something you would actually say.

italki is useful for a Spanish phrasebook because memorised lines only become reliable after you say them to a real person. With Spanish teachers, you can practise travel, food, work, and small-talk phrases until the pronunciation and wording feel natural. Because italki has supported 10M+ learners and lists 30,000+ teachers across 150+ languages, you can find feedback for the exact situation instead of relying on a generic phrase list.

Key takeaways

• Use a Spanish phrasebook by situation, not alphabetically.
• Practise phrases aloud so they become usable under pressure.
• Pair phrase categories with role-play: food, hotels, directions, problems, and small talk.
• A Spanish teacher can correct pronunciation and make the phrase sound natural.

When building your phrase bank, examples from common Spanish phrases can support everyday wording, while how to order food in Spanish helps you turn single lines into back-and-forth practice.

Which Spanish phrases should you learn first?

A useful Spanish phrasebook starts with situations, not random vocabulary. Learn the lines you can use in greetings, food, travel, work, emergencies, small talk, and everyday problem solving before you chase rare expressions.

The table below gives you 100+ Spanish phrase examples with English translations. Use it as a practical starter bank: choose the situation you actually need, practise the phrase aloud, then adapt the details.

Situation	Spanish phrase	English translation
Greetings	Hola.	Hello.
Greetings	Buenos días.	Good morning.
Greetings	Buenas tardes.	Good afternoon.
Greetings	Buenas noches.	Good evening / good night.
Greetings	Me llamo…	My name is…
Greetings	Mucho gusto.	Nice to meet you.
Greetings	¿Cómo estás?	How are you?
Greetings	Estoy bien, gracias.	I am fine, thank you.
Greetings	¿Y tú?	And you?
Greetings	Hasta luego.	See you later.
Polite basics	Por favor.	Please.
Polite basics	Gracias.	Thank you.
Polite basics	Muchas gracias.	Thank you very much.
Polite basics	De nada.	You are welcome.
Polite basics	Perdón.	Sorry / excuse me.
Polite basics	Disculpe.	Excuse me.
Polite basics	Lo siento.	I am sorry.
Polite basics	No hay problema.	No problem.
Polite basics	Con permiso.	Excuse me / may I pass?
Polite basics	Que tenga un buen día.	Have a good day.
Clarification	No entiendo.	I do not understand.
Clarification	¿Puede repetir, por favor?	Can you repeat, please?
Clarification	Más despacio, por favor.	More slowly, please.
Clarification	¿Qué significa esto?	What does this mean?
Clarification	¿Cómo se dice… en español?	How do you say… in Spanish?
Clarification	¿Puede escribirlo?	Can you write it down?
Clarification	Solo hablo un poco de español.	I only speak a little Spanish.
Clarification	Estoy aprendiendo español.	I am learning Spanish.
Clarification	¿Puede ayudarme?	Can you help me?
Clarification	¿Está claro?	Is it clear?
Directions	¿Dónde está el baño?	Where is the bathroom?
Directions	¿Dónde está la estación?	Where is the station?
Directions	¿Cómo llego al centro?	How do I get to the city centre?
Directions	¿Está cerca?	Is it nearby?
Directions	¿Está lejos?	Is it far?
Directions	Siga recto.	Go straight ahead.
Directions	Gire a la derecha.	Turn right.
Directions	Gire a la izquierda.	Turn left.
Directions	¿Puede mostrarme en el mapa?	Can you show me on the map?
Directions	Estoy perdido.	I am lost.
Transport	Necesito un billete.	I need a ticket.
Transport	¿Cuánto cuesta el billete?	How much is the ticket?
Transport	¿A qué hora sale el tren?	What time does the train leave?
Transport	¿Este autobús va al centro?	Does this bus go to the city centre?
Transport	Quiero ir a esta dirección.	I want to go to this address.
Transport	¿Cuánto tarda?	How long does it take?
Transport	¿Dónde puedo tomar un taxi?	Where can I take a taxi?
Transport	Pare aquí, por favor.	Stop here, please.
Transport	¿Hay retraso?	Is there a delay?
Transport	Tengo que cambiar de tren.	I have to change trains.
Hotel	Tengo una reserva.	I have a reservation.
Hotel	La reserva está a nombre de…	The reservation is under the name…
Hotel	¿A qué hora es el check-in?	What time is check-in?
Hotel	¿A qué hora es el check-out?	What time is check-out?
Hotel	La llave no funciona.	The key does not work.
Hotel	No hay agua caliente.	There is no hot water.
Hotel	Necesito otra toalla.	I need another towel.
Hotel	¿El desayuno está incluido?	Is breakfast included?
Hotel	¿Puede guardar mi equipaje?	Can you store my luggage?
Hotel	Quisiera una habitación tranquila.	I would like a quiet room.
Restaurant	Quisiera una mesa para dos.	I would like a table for two.
Restaurant	¿Tiene una mesa libre?	Do you have a free table?
Restaurant	¿Puede traerme el menú?	Can you bring me the menu?
Restaurant	¿Qué recomienda?	What do you recommend?
Restaurant	Soy vegetariano.	I am vegetarian.
Restaurant	Soy alérgico a…	I am allergic to…
Restaurant	Quisiera pedir…	I would like to order…
Restaurant	Sin picante, por favor.	Not spicy, please.
Restaurant	La cuenta, por favor.	The bill, please.
Restaurant	Estaba delicioso.	It was delicious.
Shopping and money	¿Cuánto cuesta?	How much does it cost?
Shopping and money	¿Aceptan tarjeta?	Do you accept cards?
Shopping and money	¿Puedo pagar en efectivo?	Can I pay in cash?
Shopping and money	Solo estoy mirando.	I am just looking.
Shopping and money	¿Tiene otra talla?	Do you have another size?
Shopping and money	¿Tiene otro color?	Do you have another colour?
Shopping and money	Es demasiado caro.	It is too expensive.
Shopping and money	¿Tiene descuento?	Is there a discount?
Shopping and money	Necesito un recibo.	I need a receipt.
Shopping and money	Me lo llevo.	I will take it.
Emergencies and health	Necesito ayuda.	I need help.
Emergencies and health	Llame a la policía.	Call the police.
Emergencies and health	Llame a una ambulancia.	Call an ambulance.
Emergencies and health	Me siento mal.	I feel sick.
Emergencies and health	Me duele la cabeza.	My head hurts.
Emergencies and health	Necesito un médico.	I need a doctor.
Emergencies and health	¿Dónde está la farmacia?	Where is the pharmacy?
Emergencies and health	He perdido mi pasaporte.	I have lost my passport.
Emergencies and health	Me han robado el teléfono.	My phone has been stolen.
Emergencies and health	Es una emergencia.	It is an emergency.
Small talk	¿De dónde eres?	Where are you from?
Small talk	Soy de…	I am from…
Small talk	¿A qué te dedicas?	What do you do?
Small talk	Estoy de vacaciones.	I am on vacation.
Small talk	Estoy aquí por trabajo.	I am here for work.
Small talk	Me gusta mucho esta ciudad.	I really like this city.
Small talk	¿Qué lugares recomiendas?	What places do you recommend?
Small talk	Hace buen tiempo.	The weather is nice.
Small talk	¿Vienes aquí a menudo?	Do you come here often?
Small talk	Fue un placer hablar contigo.	It was nice talking to you.
Work and study	Tengo una reunión.	I have a meeting.
Work and study	¿Podemos empezar?	Can we start?
Work and study	Necesito revisar esto.	I need to review this.
Work and study	¿Puede enviarme el archivo?	Can you send me the file?
Work and study	Tengo una pregunta.	I have a question.
Work and study	No estoy seguro.	I am not sure.
Work and study	Estoy de acuerdo.	I agree.
Work and study	No estoy de acuerdo.	I disagree.
Work and study	¿Cuál es el siguiente paso?	What is the next step?
Work and study	Gracias por su tiempo.	Thank you for your time.
Phone and internet	¿Cuál es la contraseña del wifi?	What is the wifi password?
Phone and internet	No tengo señal.	I do not have signal.
Phone and internet	Mi teléfono no funciona.	My phone is not working.
Phone and internet	Necesito cargar el teléfono.	I need to charge my phone.
Phone and internet	¿Tiene un cargador?	Do you have a charger?
Phone and internet	¿Puedo usar internet?	Can I use the internet?
Phone and internet	La conexión es lenta.	The connection is slow.
Phone and internet	Voy a llamarte.	I am going to call you.
Phone and internet	Te envío un mensaje.	I will send you a message.
Phone and internet	¿Puede repetir el número?	Can you repeat the number?

How do you practise a Spanish phrasebook without memorising passively?

Read each phrase once, cover it, then say it in a new sentence. Passive review creates recognition, but speaking practice turns the phrase into usable Spanish.

Use a three-step loop: understand the phrase, change one detail, and say it in a realistic situation. Then ask for correction on word order, pronunciation, and natural tone.

• Choose 10 phrases for one situation.
• Say each phrase without looking.
• Change one noun, verb, or time marker.
• Ask for a more natural version.
• Save the corrected sentence for the next session.

Which everyday situations need phrasebook support?

The best everyday situations are the ones where hesitation creates stress. Start with introductions, requests, clarification, directions, ordering, scheduling, and polite disagreement.

Do not try to cover every possible sentence at once. Build a small phrase bank for the next real situation you expect to face.

Situation	Phrase goal	Practice task
Restaurant	Order, ask for recommendations, handle the bill.	Role-play a short order.
Hotel	Check in, report a problem, ask for help.	Explain one booking issue.
Work	Introduce yourself and ask for clarification.	Practise a two-minute update.
Conversation	Keep small talk moving.	Ask three follow-up questions.

What is a simple 7-day Spanish phrasebook plan?

A 7-day plan keeps the phrasebook small enough to finish and repeat. Each day should focus on one situation and one speaking output.

Record yourself on day one and day seven. The goal is not perfect grammar. The goal is clearer delivery, faster recall, and fewer repeated pronunciation mistakes.

Day	Focus	Output
1	Greetings and introductions	Record a 30-second introduction.
2	Food and drinks	Role-play one order.
3	Directions	Ask for three places.
4	Travel problems	Explain one issue.
5	Small talk	Ask five follow-up questions.
6	Work or study	Give a short update.
7	Review	Repeat the hardest situation.

How should you use this Spanish phrasebook next?

Choose one category from the phrasebook and make it speakable. If restaurant Spanish matters this week, practise ordering, asking about ingredients, paying, and thanking the server instead of reviewing every category at once.

The useful test is simple: can you say the phrase without reading, understand a likely answer, and repair the conversation if you get stuck?

FAQs

How many Spanish phrases should I learn first?

Start with 30 to 50 phrases tied to your next real situations, then expand after you can say them aloud.

Should I memorise a Spanish phrasebook?

Memorise only the high-use phrases. The better goal is to adapt them in short conversations.

How do I practise pronunciation?

Record yourself, compare the rhythm, then ask a Spanish teacher to correct the sounds that block understanding.

Can a phrasebook help conversation?

Yes, if you practise follow-up answers and repair phrases, not only the first line.