Spanish for Travelers: 62 Must-Know Phrases with Free PDF

How to ask “Where do you live?” in Spanish: talking about someone’s place of residence

In Spanish, to ask someone informally “Where are you from?”, you say “¿DÓNDE VIVES?”.

If the situation is formal, the question is “¿DÓNDE VIVE USTED?”

You answer “YO VIVO EN” and add the place where you live.

 YO VIVO EN LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS. = “I live in the U.S.”

 YO VIVO EN CANADÁ. = “I live in Canada.”

 YO VIVO EN EL REINO UNIDO = “I live in the United Kingdom.”

 YO VIVO EN IRLANDA. = “I live in Ireland.”

 YO VIVO EN INDIA. = “I live in India.”

¿Cuánto cuesta un billete de ida a … ?	How much does a one-way ticket to … cost?
Quería un billete de ida y vuelta a … .	I would like a round-trip ticket to … .
¿Dónde hay una parada de bus?	Where is there a bus stop?
¿Dónde está la estación?	Where is the station?
¿Me puede llevar al aeropuerto?	Can you take me to the airport?
¿Cómo puedo ir al centro?	How can I go to the city center?
¿Este bus va al aeropuerto?	Does this bus go to the airport?
¿Qué tren va al centro?	Which train goes to the city center?

 

Castillian Spanish (from Spain) or Latin American Spanish? What is the difference? What Spanish should I learn for my vacation?

Obviously, the Spanish spoken in different regions varies a bit. It is normal because it is the mother tongue of 500 million people.

But no matter where you go, the Spanish you learn in this guide, on the blog and in the courses on this website will allow you to communicate with natives without difficulties.

What is the difference between the Spanish of Spain and the one spoken in the different regions of Latin America? One of the most general differences between the typical pronunciation of Madrid and the Spanish spoken on the American continent is the lisp. We identify this sound with the symbol /θ/ and with the sound produced in English when saying the TH in “thing”.

In most regions of Spain, the sound /θ/ is made when we have the letter Z or the combinations CE or CI, for example in the numbers “DIEZ” (10), “DOCE” (12), “CINCO” (5).

However, that sound is not produced in Latin America, where natives pronounce /s/ instead (that is, the sound of S in the English word “sun”). Therefore, if you travel to Mexico, Puerto Rico, Argentina, etc., you will not hear the lisp because Latin Americans will pronounce /s/ when they say the numbers “DIEZ” (10), “DOCE” (12), “CINCO”. (5).

In any case, the variations do not hinder communication at all. Of course, the Spanish of Mexico has its peculiarities and its richness, but you do not have to learn “Mexican Spanish” if you are going to travel to Mexico. There you will speak Spanish, just as you will speak Spanish if you travel to Argentina, Puerto Rico, or Madrid.

Similarly, it does not matter where your teacher comes from. As long as Spanish is his/her mother tongue, what he/she teaches you will help you communicate with any other Spanish speaker. This is the beauty of the Spanish language.

Is it useful for me to speak some “broken Spanish” during a trip?

Of course! Although English is spoken in many tourist areas in Spain and Latin America, there are many advantages in mastering simple but practical Spanish phrases.  And you do not have to worry about specifically learning “Spanish from Spain” or “Spanish from Mexico” for your trip, as we have seen.

Accents, slang, and some words for everyday objects may be different depending on where you are, but the grammar of Spanish is basically the same in all Spanish-speaking countries. With a simple vocabulary like the one you can learn in this blog, you will be able to make yourself understood without difficulties in Spain and Latin America.

In general, Spanish speakers value positively that a foreigner tries to speak their language. They are especially friendly and patient if they see a foreigner trying to make him/herself understood.

In other words, by having a basic grasp of Spanish, you will get to know more people, and your traveling experience will be more colorful and memorable.

Spanish-speaking and bilingual regions

In some Spanish-speaking regions, the natives speak more languages than Spanish. This is the case of the indigenous Quechua language in countries like Peru or Bolivia, which has no relationship with Spanish. Quechua was spoken in vast regions of South America long before the Spaniards arrived in the continent, and it is still spoken nowadays by 8-10 million people.

Another language that coexists with Spanish is Catalan, which you will hear if you travel to Barcelona. Both languages descend from Latin and are similar.

But do not worry because wherever you go, in the 21 countries that have Spanish as their official language, you will be able to communicate in Spanish with the people there.

Note: when I say “Latin America” I mean generically the countries of the continent that have Spanish as their main language. That excludes Brazil, where Portuguese is spoken. It is not so different from Spanish, but it is another language. If you want to know its basics, you have a Portuguese for travelers guide and a free mini-course to discover it.

Your first contact with the Spanish language.