Practise Spanish conversation topics for your next trip
There are nine short conversations, each with something to get done: agreeing a time for coffee, deciding what to cook, asking the way, and getting a refund for a lamp that flickers. They are different lengths on purpose. Directions is five lines because that is all a stranger will give you; the return is eleven because that is how long a return takes. Read one. Then hide your side and say your lines.
Pick a speaker to hide that side of each conversation. Most lines are questions and answers, because a conversation with a job in it is mostly that. Each topic ends with the vocabulary that carries it, and a note marks where Spain and Latin America differ.
Listen buttons appear when your browser has a Spanish voice installed (most desktop browsers and phones do).
Weekend plans
Planes para el fin de semana
You agree on a day and a time. The first plan falls through, and that is the useful half.
A: ¿Qué vas a hacer este fin de semana? What are you doing this weekend?
B: El sábado voy al mercado por la mañana. ¿Y tú? On Saturday I’m going to the market in the morning. And you?
A: Todavía no tengo planes. ¿Tomamos un café después? I don’t have plans yet. Shall we get a coffee afterwards?
B: Me encantaría, pero es que el sábado por la tarde trabajo. I’d love to, but the thing is I work on Saturday afternoon.
A: ¿Y el domingo? And Sunday?
B: El domingo sí. ¿A las cinco? Sunday, yes. At five?
A: A las cinco no puedo. ¿Te parece bien a las seis? I can’t at five. Does six work for you?
B: Vale, a las seis en la cafetería de la plaza. OK, at six at the café in the square.
es que…
: the thing is… (the softener before an excuse)
todavía no
: not yet
te parece bien…
: … works for you (parecer takes an indirect pronoun, like gustar)
me encantaría
: I’d love to
vale
: OK (Spain; Mexico: sale or va)
Cooking together
Cocinar juntos
You decide what to make from what is in the fridge and split up the jobs.
A: ¿Qué te apetece cenar hoy? What do you feel like for dinner today?
B: Algo rápido, es que tengo hambre. Tengo pasta y unas verduras. Something quick, I’m hungry. I have pasta and some vegetables.
A: ¿Hacemos pasta con calabacín y tomate? Shall we make pasta with courgette and tomato?
B: Buena idea. ¿Tienes ajo? Good idea. Do you have garlic?
A: Sí, y también queso. ¿Cuánto tarda? Yes, and cheese too. How long does it take?
B: Veinte minutos. Yo corto las verduras y tú pones el agua. Twenty minutes. I’ll chop the vegetables and you put the water on.
A: Vale. ¿Le pongo sal ahora? OK. Do I add salt now?
B: Cuando hierva. When it boils.
apetecer
: to feel like (Spain: te apetece; Mexico: se te antoja)
cuando hierva
: when it boils (subjunctive: after “cuando” for something still to come)
tardar
: to take (time)
calabacín
: courgette / zucchini (Mexico: calabacita)
Work and study
El trabajo y los estudios
You say what you do and ask the same back.
A: ¿A qué te dedicas? What do you do for a living?
B: Soy enfermera. Trabajo en un hospital, por turnos. I’m a nurse. I work in a hospital, on shifts.
A: ¿Y te gusta? And do you like it?
B: Sí, aunque las noches son duras. ¿Y tú? Yes, although the nights are hard. And you?
A: Pues estudio ingeniería y trabajo media jornada en una tienda. I’m studying engineering. I also work part-time in a shop.
B: ¿Cuántas horas a la semana? How many hours a week?
A: Unas quince. Da para el alquiler. About fifteen. It covers the rent.
dedicarse a
: to do for a living (literally: to devote yourself to)
media jornada
: part-time (jornada completa = full-time)
por turnos
: on shifts
da para…
: it’s enough for… (spoken)
el alquiler
: rent (Mexico: la renta)
Getting around
Cómo llegar
Five lines. The answer you will get most often is “no soy de aquí”.
A: Perdona, ¿la estación de tren? Excuse me, the train station?
B: Uf, no soy de aquí… pero creo que es todo recto y luego a la izquierda en el semáforo. Oof, I’m not from here… but I think it’s straight on and then left at the traffic light.
A: ¿Y está lejos de aquí? And is it far from here?
B: Diez minutos andando, más o menos. About ten minutes on foot.
A: Vale, gracias. OK, thanks.
no soy de aquí
: I’m not from here
todo recto
: straight on
a la izquierda / a la derecha
: left / right
andando
: on foot (Latin America: caminando)
perdona
: excuse me (informal; formal: perdone)
How you are feeling
Cómo te encuentras
You say what is wrong with you and answer someone’s concern without over-explaining.
A: Tienes mala cara. ¿Estás bien? You look rough. Are you OK?
B: No mucho. Me duele la cabeza y estoy muy cansado. Not really. My head hurts and I’m very tired.
A: ¿Has dormido bien? Have you slept well?
B: Poco. Me acosté tarde porque tenía trabajo. Not much. I went to bed late because I had work.
A: ¿Has tomado algo? Have you taken anything?
B: Todavía no. Voy a beber agua y descansar un rato. Not yet. I’m going to drink some water and rest for a while.
A: Si mañana sigues igual, ve al médico. If you’re still the same tomorrow, go to the doctor.
B: Sí, si no mejoro, pido cita. Yes, if I don’t get better I’ll make an appointment.
me duele la cabeza / me duelen los pies
: doler agrees with the thing that hurts, like gustar
tener mala cara
: to look rough
pedir cita
: to make an appointment
un rato
: a while
seguir igual
: to be still the same
A trip you are planning
Un viaje
Where you are going, who with, and what isn’t booked yet.
A: ¿Adónde vas de vacaciones este año? Where are you going on holiday this year?
B: A Zamora, a ver a la familia de mi novia. Cinco días en octubre. To Zamora, to see my girlfriend’s family. Five days in October.
A: ¿Y qué vais a hacer allí? And what are you going to do there?
B: Nada especial. Comer mucho y dormir. Nothing special. Eat a lot and sleep.
A: Pues suena bien. ¿Ya tenéis el tren? Well, that sounds good. Have you got the train already?
B: El tren sí, pero todavía no sé cómo volvemos. The train, yes, but I don’t know yet how we’re getting back.
A: Miradlo pronto, que en octubre sube. Look at it soon, because in October it goes up.
ya… / todavía no…
: already… / not yet…
vais, tenéis, miradlo
: Spain-only plural forms; Latin America: van, tienen, mírenlo
nada especial
: nothing special
que
: here: because (spoken)
Family and where you are from
De dónde eres
Say where you are from. Ask about their family.
A: ¿De dónde eres? Where are you from?
B: Soy de Medellín, pero vivo aquí desde hace tres años. I’m from Medellín, but I’ve lived here for three years.
A: ¿Y tu familia sigue allí? And is your family still there?
B: Mis padres sí. Mi hermano mayor vive en Madrid. My parents are. My older brother lives in Madrid.
A: ¿Los ves a menudo? Do you see them often?
B: A mis padres, una vez al año. Hablamos por videollamada los domingos. My parents, once a year. We talk by video call on Sundays.
A: ¿Echas de menos tu ciudad? Do you miss your city?
B: Sobre todo la comida. Y el clima, la verdad. The food, mostly. And the weather, honestly.
desde hace tres años
: for three years (up to now)
echar de menos
: to miss (Spain; Latin America: extrañar)
a menudo
: often
la verdad
: honestly (tacked on the end)
Weather and small talk
El tiempo
Small talk. It is the weakest topic here, and the guide says why it stays.
A: ¡Qué calor hace hoy! It’s so hot today!
B: Sí, dicen que mañana llega a treinta y cinco. Yes, they say tomorrow it reaches thirty-five.
A: ¿Y va a llover esta semana? And is it going to rain this week?
B: El jueves, creo. Ojalá, que el jardín está seco. Thursday, I think. Hopefully, because the garden is dry.
A: Pues prefiero eso a este calor. Well, I’d rather have that than this heat.
hace calor / frío
: it’s hot / cold (weather uses hacer)
ojalá
: hopefully
pues
: well… (a filler to start a reply)
Returning something to a shop
Devolver una compra
Formal “usted”. Longer than the others because a return takes that long.
A: Hola, quería devolver esta lámpara. Hello, I’d like to return this lamp.
B: ¿Tiene el ticket? Do you have the receipt?
A: Sí, aquí está. La compré el martes. Yes, here it is. I bought it on Tuesday.
B: ¿Cuál es el problema? What’s the problem?
A: No funciona bien; la luz parpadea. It doesn’t work properly; the light flickers.
B: ¿La ha probado con otra bombilla? Have you tried it with another bulb?
A: Sí, con dos. Hace lo mismo. Yes, with two. It does the same.
B: Vale. ¿Se la cambiamos o le devolvemos el dinero? OK. Do we exchange it for you or refund you the money?
A: Prefiero que me devuelvan el dinero, por favor. I’d prefer a refund, please.
B: Muy bien. ¿Pagó con tarjeta? Very well. Did you pay by card?
A: Sí, con esta. Yes, with this one.
se la cambiamos / le devolvemos el dinero
: la = the lamp, le = you. This is the line to get right.
quería…
: I’d like… (polite imperfect)
prefiero que + subjunctive
: I’d prefer that… (me devuelvan)
pagó, tiene, ha probado
: the usted forms; with tú they would be pagaste, tienes, has probado
el ticket
: receipt in Spain (the RAE writes tique; nobody else does)
parpadear
: to flicker
Nothing here is sent anywhere.
Start with the returns conversation
If you are going to Spain for a week, start with the returns conversation. It is the only one where getting it wrong costs money, and “quería devolver esto” plus “prefiero que me devuelvan el dinero” covers most of it. The line to get right is the one the shop assistant says, “¿Se la cambiamos o le devolvemos el dinero?”, where “la” is the lamp and “le” is you. The weather topic is the weakest of the nine. We kept it because it is the first minute of every conversation you will have, and we cut a books-and-films one that was worse.
Practise your reply out loud
Read the whole exchange once with the English on. Then choose a speaker and turn the English off. Say each hidden line aloud before you reveal it; saying it in your head doesn’t count, and you will cheat on the third line, which is fine. On the second pass change a detail such as the day or the dish, so you produce the sentence instead of remembering it. The first two glosses under each topic are the ones to keep. The rest are there so you are not stuck.
When to use usted, and which words change by region
Eight topics use the informal “tú”. The returns topic uses “usted”, because that’s what you use with a shop assistant you don’t know, and the verb forms change (¿tiene?, ¿pagó?). The glosses are written from Spain. Most of the regional swaps cost you nothing: “andando” or “caminando”, “calabacín” or “calabacita”, anyone will understand either. Two cost you the sentence. “Coger” means to take or to catch in Spain and is vulgar in Mexico and Argentina; say “tomar” there. And “¿mande?” is how a Mexican says “pardon?”. Learn one country’s words and stick to them.
Listen for the rhythm before you reply
They use your browser’s built-in Spanish voice. It is synthetic and usually Castilian. Use it for rhythm and for hearing where a question rises. For feedback on how you sound, you still need a person.
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