Build a Phrase

Can I…?

• ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?

  PWEH-doh pah-GAR kohn tar-HEH-tah

  Can I pay by card?

Can you…?

A polite, useful default when speaking to someone you don't know.

• ¿Puede ayudarme?

  PWEH-deh ah-yoo-DAR-meh

  Can you help me?

Can we…?

• ¿Podemos entrar?

  poh-DEH-mohs ehn-TRAR

  Can we come in?

Can they…?

Also means “Can you all…?” when you're talking to a group.

• ¿Pueden venir mañana?

  PWEH-dehn beh-NEER mah-NYAH-nah

  Can they come tomorrow?

Could you…?

A polite way to ask someone to do something.

• ¿Podría hablar más despacio?

  poh-DREE-ah ah-BLAR mahs deh-SPAH-syoh

  Could you speak more slowly?

I can…

• Puedo pagar en efectivo.

  PWEH-doh pah-GAR ehn eh-fehk-TEE-boh

  I can pay in cash.

I can't…

• No puedo entrar.

  noh PWEH-doh ehn-TRAR

  I can't get in.

We can…

• Podemos regresar mañana.

  poh-DEH-mohs reh-greh-SAR mah-NYAH-nah

  We can come back tomorrow.

We can't…

• No podemos esperar.

  noh poh-DEH-mohs ehs-peh-RAR

  We can't wait.

Should I…?

• ¿Debería hacer una cita?

  deh-beh-REE-ah ah-SEHR OO-nah SEE-tah

  Should I make an appointment?

Should we…?

• ¿Deberíamos esperar aquí?

  deh-beh-REE-ah-mohs ehs-peh-RAR ah-KEE

  Should we wait here?

Do I have to…?

• ¿Tengo que pagar ahora?

  TEHN-goh keh pah-GAR ah-OH-rah

  Do I have to pay now?

Do we have to…?

• ¿Tenemos que traer identificación?

  teh-NEH-mohs keh trah-EHR ee-dehn-tee-fee-kah-SYOHN

  Do we have to bring ID?

Do they have to…?

• ¿Tienen que venir en persona?

  TYEH-nehn keh beh-NEER ehn pehr-SOH-nah

  Do they have to come in person?

I have to…

• Tengo que regresar mañana.

  TEHN-goh keh reh-greh-SAR mah-NYAH-nah

  I have to come back tomorrow.

We have to…

• Tenemos que salir ahora.

  teh-NEH-mohs keh sah-LEER ah-OH-rah

  We have to leave now.

You have to…

• Tiene que firmar aquí.

  TYEH-neh keh feer-MAR ah-KEE

  You have to sign here.

Am I going to…? / Will I…?

• ¿Voy a necesitar una cita?

  BOY ah neh-seh-see-TAR OO-nah SEE-tah

  Will I need an appointment?

Are you going to…? / Will you…?

• ¿Va a venir mañana?

  BAH ah beh-NEER mah-NYAH-nah

  Will you come tomorrow?

Are we going to…? / Will we…?

• ¿Vamos a pagar aquí?

  BAH-mohs ah pah-GAR ah-KEE

  Are we going to pay here?

Are they going to…? / Will they…?

• ¿Van a regresar hoy?

  BAHN ah reh-greh-SAR oy

  Will they come back today?

I'm going to…

• Voy a pagar con tarjeta.

  BOY ah pah-GAR kohn tar-HEH-tah

  I'm going to pay by card.

We're going to…

• Vamos a regresar mañana.

  BAH-mohs ah reh-greh-SAR mah-NYAH-nah

  We're going to come back tomorrow.

They're going to…

• Van a llegar más tarde.

  BAHN ah yeh-GAR mahs TAR-deh

  They're going to arrive later.

I want…

• Quiero agua.

  KYEH-roh AH-gwah

  I want water.

I want to…

Same word for “I want” and “I want to.”

• Quiero hacer una cita.

  KYEH-roh ah-SEHR OO-nah SEE-tah

  I want to make an appointment.

We want…

• Queremos una mesa afuera.

  keh-REH-mohs OO-nah MEH-sah ah-FWEH-rah

  We want a table outside.

Do you want…?

• ¿Quiere efectivo?

  KYEH-reh eh-fehk-TEE-boh

  Do you want cash?

Do you want to…?

• ¿Quiere revisar esto?

  KYEH-reh reh-bee-SAR EHS-toh

  Do you want to check this?

I would like…

A polite, useful way to say “I would like…”

• Quisiera hacer una cita.

  kee-SYEH-rah ah-SEHR OO-nah SEE-tah

  I would like to make an appointment.

We would like…

• Quisiéramos una mesa para dos.

  kee-SYEH-rah-mohs OO-nah MEH-sah pah-rah dohs

  We would like a table for two.

I need…

• Necesito un taxi.

  neh-seh-SEE-toh oon TAHK-see

  I need a taxi.

I need to…

• Necesito pagar mi recibo.

  neh-seh-SEE-toh pah-GAR mee reh-SEE-boh

  I need to pay my bill.

We need…

• Necesitamos ayuda.

  neh-seh-see-TAH-mohs ah-YOO-dah

  We need help.

We need to…

• Necesitamos regresar mañana.

  neh-seh-see-TAH-mohs reh-greh-SAR mah-NYAH-nah

  We need to come back tomorrow.

Do you need…?

• ¿Necesita mi pasaporte?

  neh-seh-SEE-tah mee pah-sah-POR-teh

  Do you need my passport?

Do they need…?

• ¿Necesitan una copia?

  neh-seh-SEE-tahn OO-nah KOH-pyah

  Do they need a copy?

They need…

• Necesitan más tiempo.

  neh-seh-SEE-tahn mahs TYEHM-poh

  They need more time.

I don't need…

• No necesito bolsa.

  noh neh-seh-SEE-toh BOHL-sah

  I don't need a bag.

Where…?

• ¿Dónde está el baño?

  DOHN-deh eh-STAH ehl BAHN-yoh

  Where is the bathroom?

Where is…?

• ¿Dónde está la farmacia?

  DOHN-deh eh-STAH lah far-MAH-syah

  Where is the pharmacy?

Where are…?

• ¿Dónde están los taxis?

  DOHN-deh eh-STAHN lohs TAHK-sees

  Where are the taxis?

Where can I…?

• ¿Dónde puedo pagar?

  DOHN-deh PWEH-doh pah-GAR

  Where can I pay?

How…?

• ¿Cómo funciona?

  KOH-moh foon-SYOH-nah

  How does it work?

How do I…?

Spanish usually asks this a little differently depending on what comes next.

• ¿Cómo llego al centro?

  KOH-moh YEH-goh ahl SEHN-troh

  How do I get downtown?

When…?

• ¿Cuándo abre?

  KWAHN-doh AH-breh

  When does it open?

When can I…?

• ¿Cuándo puedo regresar?

  KWAHN-doh PWEH-doh reh-greh-SAR

  When can I come back?

What…?

• ¿Qué necesito?

  keh neh-seh-SEE-toh

  What do I need?

What is this?

What is that?

Why…?

• ¿Por qué está cerrado?

  por KEH eh-STAH seh-RAH-doh

  Why is it closed?

How much…?

• ¿Cuánto cuesta?

  KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah

  How much does it cost?

How many…?

The ending changes depending on what you're counting.

• ¿Cuántos días?

  KWAHN-tohs DEE-ahs

  How many days?

Is there…?

Easy one: the same word works for “Is there…?” and “Are there…?”

• ¿Hay un baño?

  eye oon BAHN-yoh

  Is there a bathroom?

Are there…?

• ¿Hay taxis aquí?

  eye TAHK-sees ah-KEE

  Are there taxis here?

Do you have…?

• ¿Tiene cambio?

  TYEH-neh KAHM-byoh

  Do you have change?

Do you have…? (to a business or group)

• ¿Tienen entrega a domicilio?

  TYEH-nehn ehn-TREH-gah ah doh-mee-SEE-lyoh

  Do you have delivery?

Do I need…?

• ¿Necesito identificación?

  neh-seh-SEE-toh ee-dehn-tee-fee-kah-SYOHN

  Do I need ID?

Which…?

• ¿Cuál es mejor?

  kwahl ehs meh-HOR

  Which one is better?

Who…?

• ¿Quién puede ayudarme?

  kyehn PWEH-deh ah-yoo-DAR-meh

  Who can help me?

I

Spanish often leaves “yo” out when it's already clear who is speaking.

• Yo vivo aquí.

  yoh BEE-boh ah-KEE

  I live here.

me

Often joins onto the end of the word before it, like ayudar + me.

• ¿Puede ayudarme?

  PWEH-deh ah-yoo-DAR-meh

  Can you help me?

you (informal)

For someone you know, or an informal situation.

you (polite)

Useful with strangers and service providers.

• ¿Y usted?

  ee oos-TEHD

  And you?

he

• Él viene mañana.

  ehl BYEH-neh mah-NYAH-nah

  He's coming tomorrow.

him

Works after words like para (for). In other sentences “him” can change.

• Es para él.

  ehs PAH-rah ehl

  It's for him.

she

• Ella está aquí.

  EH-yah eh-STAH ah-KEE

  She's here.

her

Works after words like para (for). In other sentences “her” can change.

• Es para ella.

  ehs PAH-rah EH-yah

  It's for her.

we

• Nosotros vivimos aquí.

  noh-SOH-trohs bee-BEE-mohs ah-KEE

  We live here.

us

• ¿Puede ayudarnos?

  PWEH-deh ah-yoo-DAR-nohs

  Can you help us?

they

• Ellos vienen mañana.

  EH-yohs BYEH-nehn mah-NYAH-nah

  They're coming tomorrow.

them

The Spanish word changes depending on how “them” is used.

• Es para ellos.

  ehs PAH-rah EH-yohs

  It's for them.

you all / you (plural)

• ¿Ustedes viven aquí?

  oos-TEH-dehs BEE-behn ah-KEE

  Do you all live here?

my

• mi casa

  mee KAH-sah

  my house

• mis documentos

  mees doh-koo-MEHN-tohs

  my documents

your (polite)

• su nombre

  soo NOHM-breh

  your name

• sus documentos

  soos doh-koo-MEHN-tohs

  your documents

his

• su pasaporte

  soo pah-sah-POR-teh

  his passport

her

• su bolsa

  soo BOHL-sah

  her bag

our

Add an -s for more than one thing: nuestros, nuestras.

• nuestra casa

  NWEHS-trah KAH-sah

  our house

• nuestro carro

  NWEHS-troh KAH-roh

  our car

their

• su casa

  soo KAH-sah

  their house

this / this thing

Right before a word, use este or esta.

• ¿Qué es esto?

  keh ehs EHS-toh

  What is this?

• este recibo

  EHS-teh reh-SEE-boh

  this bill

• esta calle

  EHS-tah KAH-yeh

  this street

that / that thing

Right before a word, use ese or esa.

• ¿Qué es eso?

  keh ehs EH-soh

  What is that?

• ese lugar

  EH-seh loo-GAR

  that place

• esa casa

  EH-sah KAH-sah

  that house

these

• estos documentos

  EHS-tohs doh-koo-MEHN-tohs

  these documents

those

• esos taxis

  EH-sohs TAHK-sees

  those taxis

here

• ¿Puedo estacionarme aquí?

  PWEH-doh ehs-tah-syoh-NAR-meh ah-KEE

  Can I park here?

there

• Puede dejarlo ahí.

  PWEH-deh deh-HAR-loh ah-EE

  You can leave it there.

over here / this way

• Es por aquí.

  ehs por ah-KEE

  It's over here / this way.

over there

• Está por allá.

  eh-STAH por ah-YAH

  It's over there.