Essential Spanish Phrases for Travelers and Business

Posted on Feb 4, 2025 in Physical and Sports Activities

Shopping

  • To try on: Probar
  • Fitting room: Probador
  • In cash: En efectivo
  • Can I help you?: ¿Le puedo ayudar?
  • What color would you like?: ¿Qué color querría?
  • What size would you like?: ¿Qué talla querría?
  • Would you like to try it on?: ¿Querría probárselo?
  • How much is it?: ¿Cuánto cuesta?
  • How would you like to pay?: ¿Cómo querría pagar?

Transportation

  • Aisle seat: Asiento de pasillo
  • Luggage: Equipaje
  • Here you go: Aquí lo tienes

At a Hotel

  • Single room: Habitación individual
  • Double room: Habitación doble
  • Full board: Pensión completa
  • Half board: Media pensión
  • Return ticket: Billete de ida y vuelta
  • One-way ticket: Billete de ida

Renting a Car

  • To rent: Alquilar
  • Rate: Tarifa
  • Unlimited mileage: Kilometraje ilimitado
  • Insurance: Seguro
  • To pick up: Recoger
  • To drop off: Dejar
  • Driver’s license: Carnet de conducir

On the Phone

  • Is that Trevor?: ¿Eres Trevor?
  • Speaking: Sí, soy yo
  • How’s tricks?: ¿Qué tal todo?
  • That sounds fine: Perfecto
  • Just a sec: Un momento
  • I can’t hear you: No te oigo
  • See you tomorrow: Nos vemos mañana

Food and Dining

  • Fussy eater: Tiquismiquis para la comida
  • Teetotal: Abstemio
  • Chocoholic: Adicto al chocolate
  • To have a sweet tooth: Ser goloso
  • Can’t stand: No soporta
  • Fish: Pescado
  • Meat: Carne
  • Starter: Primer plato
  • Main course: Plato principal
  • Dessert: Postre

Business and Workplace

  • To run a company: Llevar una empresa
  • The bottom: La parte más baja
  • To invest: Invertir
  • Heavily: De una manera considerable
  • To go far: Tener éxito
  • To carry out: Llevar a cabo
  • The wrong person: La persona equivocada
  • Rotten: Podrido
  • Belief: Creencia
  • To train: Formar
  • Spark: Destello
  • Rough diamond: Diamantes en bruto
  • To polish: Pulir
  • Raw materials: Materias primas
  • Waste: Pérdida
  • To set aside: Reservar
  • Budget: Presupuesto
  • Success: Éxito
  • Failure: Fracaso
  • To erase: Borrar
  • Comes to: Se trata de…

Useful Grammar Structures

“I would like to…”

  • I would like to make an appointment with…
  • I would like a ticket for the cinema

Alternative Conditional:

I would/wouldn’t + Base Verb (go, make, run…) + If I were/weren’t…

  • I wouldn’t make an appointment with David if I weren’t sick.

Questions with “Would”:

  • Would you live in Siberia? Yes, I would. / No, I wouldn’t.

“Would” for Orders:

  1. She’d like her/him:
    • to pick her papers up
    • to make me a coffee
    • to speak to the clients
    • to speak to the insurers
  2. Pick your papers up. Make me a coffee.
  3. Can you pick your papers up?

“Wish” (Ojalá):

I wish + Subject + Past Simple/Past Continuous

  • I wish I had more money.
  • I wish I were in Hawaii now.
  • I wish I owned a new house.

“Should” (Debería):

  • You should get your hair cut.
  • You should go on a diet.
  • I don’t think you should go out because…

“Must” (Obligación):

  • You must study every day.

“Must” for Deduction:

  • He must be angry.
  • She must be rich.

“Mustn’t” for Rules:

  • Don’t leave… –> You mustn’t leave…

“Might” = “May” (Posibilidad):

  • I’m thinking about telling the boss. –> Juan might tell the boss.