Conversational Spanish for Beginners

Hello! This can be said in a number of ways. The most basic is "Hola!" (OH-lah), which you probably learned from Dora as a kid. Although this is short and simple, longer words may be used to spice it up and make you seem more educated. Try using, "Buenos días!"(BWEH-nos-DEE-az), which means "Good morning!". Also, you could use, "Buenas tardes!" (BWEH-nas-tard-ays), which means "Good afternoon!", depending on the time of the day.

What is your name? This is usually said by saying, "¿Cómo te llamas?" (COH-MOH-tay-yam-as).

My name is _____. People will answer the above question using "Me llamo _____" (ME-AH-moh_____). The blanks will have your name in it.

Nice to meet you! This is said by using "Igualmente!" (IG-wall-men-tay). Someone could then say either "Mucho gusto" (MOO-choh-goos-toh), or "El gusto es mío" (EL-gus-toh-es-mioh). The former means "Nice to meet you, too", and the latter means "The pleasure is mine".

Where are you from? Someone will usually ask this question with "¿De dónde eres?" (DEE-don-day-air-es).

I am from ______. You or the other person will answer the above question with, "Yo soy de ______" (YO-SOY-DAY-). The blank would be your country. The US is ( Estados Unidos ).

How are you? This is asked using "¿Cómo estas?" (COH-MOH-est-ahs).

Yo estoy_____. There are multiple answers to the above question. You use "Yo estoy" (I am _____). Options for the blank are: "bien", meaning good, (BEE-en), "feliz", meaning happy, (fell-EEZ), "cansado", meaning tired, (con-sodd-OH), and enfermo, meaning sick, (en-fer-MOH).

How old are you? To ask this, you would say "¿Cuantos años tienes?", literally meaning "How many years do you have?". It is pronounced: "KWAN-tos-an-YOS-TEE-en-ays".

10

11

When is your birthday? Someone would ask this by saying "¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?" (KWAN-doh-es-TOO-com-PLEE-on-YOSE).

12

It is _____. You would say your birthday by answering "Es el ____ de _____" (Es-el) and (DEE). The first blank would be the date, such as the second (dos), the thirty first (treinta y uno) or the nineteenth (diecinueve). See Count up to 10 in Spanish, Count from 10 to 19 in Spanish and Count from 20 to 39 in Spanish, for a list of numbers. The second blank would be the month, such as July (julio), August (agosto), or March (marzo). See Say the Calendar Months in Spanish for a list of months.

13

Goodbye! Most people know how to say "Bye" in Spanish. "Adios!", or (AH-DEE-OHS). If it is evening or night, say "Buenas noches!", or "Good night!", pronounced (BUEN-AHS-NO-CH-EHS).

14

Without using the above guide, write down the translation of the following conversation between Roberto and Maria.

Roberto: ¡Hola!

Maria: ¡Buenos dias!

Roberto: ¿Cómo te llamas?

Maria: Me llamo Maria. ¿Y tu?

Roberto: Me llamo Roberto. Mucho gusto.

Maria: El gusto es mio! ¿De donde eres?

Roberto: Yo soy de Spain. ¿Y tú?

Maria: Yo soy de le Honduras. ¿Cómo estás?

Roberto: Yo estoy feliz.