Skip to content
Adults of mixed ages practising Spanish conversation around a community-room table
Reviewed August 2026
Spanish Lessons

Basic Spanish for everyday life: listen, clarify and keep going

en

A short, accurate exchange is more useful than a memorised speech delivered too quickly. Begin with greetings, numbers and a few repair phrases which let you slow a conversation down. Then practise them aloud in the situations where you actually need them.

Open and close politely

Buenos días / buenas tardes
Good morning / good afternoon.
Por favor / gracias
Please / thank you.
Perdone
Excuse me, or a polite way to get attention.
Hasta luego
See you later.

In Spain, tú is common in informal conversation and usted provides a more formal option. Usage varies by person and setting. Listening to how somebody addresses you, or asking which they prefer, is more reliable than assuming age alone decides it.

Phrases which repair a conversation

  • Estoy aprendiendo español. I am learning Spanish.
  • ¿Puede hablar más despacio, por favor? Can you speak more slowly, please?
  • ¿Puede repetirlo? Can you repeat that?
  • No he entendido. I did not understand.
  • ¿Cómo se dice ... en español? How do you say ... in Spanish?
  • ¿Puede escribirlo? Can you write it down?

Learn chunks, not isolated labels

Practise a noun inside a usable question: ¿Dónde está la parada de autobús? is more valuable than memorising parada alone. Add the answer forms you are likely to hear, including left, right, straight on and common numbers.

Spanish spelling is relatively consistent, but stress and connected speech still need listening practice. Use recordings from a reputable course, repeat a short phrase and compare your rhythm. Reading English sound spellings can fix the wrong pronunciation.

A ten-minute routine

  1. Review five phrases from yesterday.
  2. Listen to one short native recording twice.
  3. Repeat it in complete chunks.
  4. Write one question you will use today.
  5. After the exchange, note what answer you actually heard.

Making mistakes is part of the process, but guessing in a medical, legal or emergency exchange is risky. Ask for a professional interpreter when accuracy matters.

Sources and review

This guide was reviewed in August 2026 using the Instituto Cervantes beginner-learning resources, the Royal Spanish Academy dictionary and FundéuRAE guidance on tú, vos and usted.