The 15 essential phrases
| Spanish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hola / Buenos días / Buenas tardes | Hello (until about 14:00-15:00: días; after that: tardes) |
| Por favor / Gracias | Please / Thank you |
| Perdone / Lo siento | Excuse me / Sorry |
| ¿Habla inglés? | Do you speak English? |
| No entiendo | I do not understand |
| Una mesa para dos, por favor | A table for two, please |
| La carta, por favor | The menu, please |
| Una caña / un vino tinto | A small draught beer / a red wine |
| Sin gluten / sin carne | Gluten-free / without meat |
| La cuenta, por favor | The bill, please |
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | How much is it? |
| ¿Dónde está el metro? | Where is the metro? |
| ¿A qué hora sale el tren? | What time does the train leave? |
| Necesito ayuda / un médico | I need help / a doctor |
| Una entrada, por favor | One ticket, please |
Useful traps
Meals are late: lunch around 14:00-15:00, dinner after 21:00 (see meal times). In Spain "vosotros" is the informal plural "you". In restaurants you do not leave a big tip (see money and tipping). For emergencies the European number is 112 (see emergencies and health).
