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Spanish basics: greetings and essentials

Twenty-two essential Spanish words and phrases for greetings, politeness and getting by, each with an example sentence and a simple pronunciation hint.

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The cards, front and back

  1. 1
    Front

    Hello

    Back

    Hola

    Example: ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? (Hi! How's it going?)

    Say: OH-lah. The h is always silent.

  2. 2
    Front

    Good morning

    Back

    Buenos días

    Example: Buenos días, señora. (Good morning, madam.)

    Say: BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs

  3. 3
    Front

    Good afternoon

    Back

    Buenas tardes

    Used from about midday until it gets dark.

    Example: Buenas tardes a todos. (Good afternoon, everyone.)

  4. 4
    Front

    Good evening / Good night

    Back

    Buenas noches

    Used both as a greeting after dark and when going to bed.

    Say: BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs

  5. 5
    Front

    Goodbye / See you later

    Back

    Adiós / Hasta luego

    Example: Hasta luego, Marta. (See you later, Marta.)

    Say: ah-DYOHS, AHS-tah LWEH-goh

  6. 6
    Front

    Please

    Back

    Por favor

    Example: Un café, por favor. (A coffee, please.)

  7. 7
    Front

    Thank you / Thank you very much

    Back

    Gracias / Muchas gracias

    Say: GRAH-syahs in Latin America, GRAH-thyahs in much of Spain.

  8. 8
    Front

    You're welcome

    Back

    De nada

    Example: Gracias por la ayuda. De nada. (Thanks for the help. You're welcome.)

  9. 9
    Front

    Yes / No

    Back

    Sí / No

    The accent on sí matters: si without an accent means if.

  10. 10
    Front

    Excuse me (to get attention)

    Back

    Disculpe (formal) or Perdón

    Example: Disculpe, ¿tiene hora? (Excuse me, do you have the time?)

  11. 11
    Front

    I'm sorry

    Back

    Lo siento

    Example: Lo siento, llego tarde. (I'm sorry, I'm late.)

    Say: loh SYEHN-toh

  12. 12
    Front

    How are you?

    Back

    ¿Cómo estás? (informal) / ¿Cómo está usted? (formal)

    Reply: Bien, gracias, ¿y tú? (Fine, thanks, and you?)

  13. 13
    Front

    What's your name?

    Back

    ¿Cómo te llamas? (informal) / ¿Cómo se llama? (formal)

    Reply: Me llamo Ana. (My name is Ana.)

  14. 14
    Front

    Nice to meet you

    Back

    Mucho gusto, or Encantado (said by a man) / Encantada (said by a woman)

    Example: Mucho gusto, Carlos.

  15. 15
    Front

    Where are you from?

    Back

    ¿De dónde eres? (informal) / ¿De dónde es usted? (formal)

    Reply: Soy de Australia. (I'm from Australia.)

  16. 16
    Front

    I don't understand

    Back

    No entiendo

    Example: Perdón, no entiendo. (Sorry, I don't understand.)

    Say: noh ehn-TYEHN-doh

  17. 17
    Front

    Do you speak English?

    Back

    ¿Hablas inglés? (informal) / ¿Habla inglés? (formal)

    Say: AH-blahs een-GLEHS

  18. 18
    Front

    More slowly, please

    Back

    Más despacio, por favor

    Example: ¿Puede hablar más despacio, por favor? (Can you speak more slowly, please?)

  19. 19
    Front

    I'd like...

    Back

    Quisiera... or Me gustaría...

    Example: Quisiera un vaso de agua. (I'd like a glass of water.)

  20. 20
    Front

    How much is it?

    Back

    ¿Cuánto cuesta?

    Example: ¿Cuánto cuesta esta camiseta? (How much is this T-shirt?)

  21. 21
    Front

    Where is...?

    Back

    ¿Dónde está...?

    Example: ¿Dónde está el baño? (Where is the bathroom?)

  22. 22
    Front

    Formal and informal 'you'

    Back

    Tú is informal, for friends, family and children. Usted is formal, for strangers, older people and at work. In Latin America, ustedes is the plural for both.

How to use this template

This deck teaches the Spanish you need in your first conversations: greetings, polite words, introductions and survival phrases such as asking someone to slow down. Each card gives the English on the front and the Spanish on the back, with a short example sentence and an easy pronunciation hint. It suits beginners at school, travellers and adult learners. Where Spain and Latin America differ, the card says so. Study in Learn mode and say every phrase out loud, then use Test mode so spaced repetition can bring back the ones you forget. Print it double-sided for practice on the go.

Tips

  • Always say the Spanish aloud. Spanish spelling is very regular, so once you know the sounds you can read almost any word.
  • Practise each phrase in a tiny dialogue: greet, ask a name, say nice to meet you, say goodbye.
  • Learn the formal and informal versions together, and decide which you would use with a teacher or a friend.
  • Pay attention to accents such as sí and cómo. They change pronunciation and sometimes meaning.
  • Flip the deck so the Spanish is on the front once you can produce the phrases from English.

Make it fit

  • Add local greetings for the country you are visiting, such as ¿Qué onda? in Mexico or ¿Qué pasa? in Spain.
  • Teachers can add a column of classroom phrases like ¿Puedo ir al baño?
  • For a younger class, keep the first twelve cards and add numbers one to ten.
  • Add your own name, country and hobbies so you can introduce yourself fully.

Updated October 28, 2026

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