· 5 min read
English Phrases for Spanish Speakers: 36
By Language Lab editorial team
36 English phrases for Spanish speakers: 22 everyday phrases with their Spanish equivalents, and 14 English phrases for checking understanding and apologising.
If you speak Spanish, you can start using English today with phrases you already know in your own language. The first 22 phrases below pair Spanish with English, taken from the BBC's Spanish phrase lists: Hola is Hi, Gracias is Thank you, Me llamo is My name is, and ¿Dónde está el baño, por favor? is Where's the toilet, please? The last 14 are English phrases from the British Council's speaking lessons for moments when a conversation gets difficult: asking someone to repeat, saying you do not understand, and apologising. Learn each English phrase from a recording as well as from the page, because English, unlike Spanish, is not written the way it is pronounced.
The basics
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Hola | Hi |
| Me llamo... | My name is... |
| Encantado, -a | Nice to meet you |
| Sí | Yes |
| No | No |
| Gracias | Thank you |
| por favor | please |
| Adiós | Goodbye |
| Hablo un poco | I speak a little |
| en inglés | in English |
| en español | in Spanish |
Notice the small differences. Spanish Encantado changes to Encantada for a woman; English Nice to meet you is the same for everyone. Spanish por favor is two words; English please is one.
Good wishes and everyday feelings
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Bienvenido | Welcome |
| ¡Buen viaje! | Have a great trip! |
| ¡Hasta pronto! | See you soon! |
| Buen fin de semana | Have a good weekend |
| Buenas noches | Good night |
| Buena suerte | Good luck |
| ¡Qué lástima! | What a shame! |
| Te quiero | I love you |
| Te echo de menos | I miss you |
| Con los mejores deseos | Best wishes, Take care |
| ¿Dónde está el baño, por favor? | Where's the toilet, please? |
Have a is a pattern worth learning: Have a great trip, Have a good weekend, Have a nice evening. English uses it where Spanish often begins with Buen or Buenas.
When you do not understand
These phrases come from the British Council's A1 speaking lesson on checking understanding. They are in English only, because this is the moment when you need the English words ready.
| English | Use it to |
|---|---|
| I'm sorry? | Ask someone to repeat, briefly |
| I can't hear you very well. | Explain the problem |
| Could you say that again, please? | Ask someone to repeat |
| I don't understand. | Say you did not follow |
| Can you repeat that more slowly, please? | Ask for slower speech |
| Is this it? | Check by showing something |
| Yes, that's right! | Confirm |
Saying sorry
From the British Council's A2 lesson on apologising.
| English | Use it to |
|---|---|
| I'm so sorry! | Apologise |
| I'm really sorry! | Apologise strongly |
| It was my fault. | Take responsibility |
| I'm sorry too. | Share the blame |
| That's all right. | Accept an apology |
| Honestly, it's fine. | Reassure someone |
| Don't worry about it. | Tell someone it does not matter |
Words you already know
English and Spanish share many words of Latin origin. The BBC's guide to Spanish gives a useful rule: most English words ending in -tion end in -ción in Spanish, as in attention and atención, or publication and publicación. When you meet a long English word, look for its Spanish relative before you reach for the dictionary.
How to learn them
- Listen to each English phrase and repeat it aloud.
- Cover the English column and say it from the Spanish.
- Learn the seven phrases for not understanding first; they keep every conversation going.
- Come back after a day, a week and a month.
Language Lab's English course is built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor, so you can use these phrases in conversation and hear the reply.
Frequently asked
How do you say gracias in English?
Thank you. Por favor is please.
How do you say me llamo in English?
My name is, followed by your name. Encantado or Encantada is Nice to meet you.
How do you say no entiendo in English?
I don't understand. To ask someone to repeat, say Could you say that again, please?
How do you say buena suerte in English?
Good luck.
How do you ask where the bathroom is in English?
Where's the toilet, please? is the English for ¿Dónde está el baño, por favor?
Are English and Spanish words similar?
Many are. The two languages share words of Latin origin, and most English words ending in -tion end in -ción in Spanish.
Sources: BBC Languages, Spanish Quick Fix: Basic phrases and Social phrases, and A Guide to Spanish: 10 facts (archived pages); British Council, LearnEnglish, Speaking: Checking understanding (A1) and Apologising (A2). Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: Grand Canyon cloud inversion at Mather Point, 2013, by Grand Canyon National Park / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons).
