· 5 min read
Spanish Phrases for the Classroom: 48 to Use
By Language Lab editorial team
48 Spanish phrases and words for the classroom, for teachers with Spanish-speaking pupils: greetings, checking understanding, commands, activities and objects.
A teacher with Spanish-speaking pupils does not need fluent Spanish to make a difference. Colorín Colorado, a resource for educators of English language learners, puts it this way: using Spanish phrases can mean a great deal to your students and their families, because making an effort shows that you respect and value their language. The 48 phrases and words below come from its starter kit for educators. Begin with five: Buenos días, good morning; ¿Cómo te llamas?, what's your name?; ¿Comprendes?, do you understand?; ¡Muy bien!, very good!; and Hasta mañana, see you tomorrow. Then add the commands and the names of classroom objects. Say them aloud before you use them, and let your pupils correct you.
Greetings and everyday expressions
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Hola | Hello |
| Buenos días | Good morning |
| ¿Cómo te llamas? | What's your name? |
| Me llamo… | My name is… |
| Mucho gusto | Nice to meet you |
| ¿Cómo estás? | How are you? |
| Bien | Good; fine |
| ¡Muy bien! | Very good! |
| Por favor | Please |
| Muchas gracias | Many thanks |
| Hasta mañana | See you tomorrow |
| Adiós | Goodbye |
Checking understanding
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Comprendes? | Do you understand? |
| Sí, comprendo | Yes, I understand |
| No, no comprendo | No, I don't understand |
| ¿Dónde está…? | Where is…? |
¿Comprendes? is the most useful question on this page. Ask it often, and teach your pupils that No, no comprendo is a welcome answer.
Commands
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Silencio | Be quiet |
| Siéntate | Sit down |
| Levántate | Get up |
| Escucha | Listen |
| Mira | Look |
| Dame | Give me |
| Vamos afuera | Let's go outside |
| Para, deja | Stop, quit it |
Saying what it is time for
The kit gives one frame, Es la hora de, it's time, followed by an activity.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| dibujar | to draw |
| leer | to read |
| escribir | to write |
| hablar | to speak |
| trabajar | to work |
| jugar | to play |
| comer | to eat |
| dormir | to sleep |
So Es la hora de leer is it's time to read, and Es la hora de comer is it's time to eat.
Things in the classroom
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el maestro, la maestra | teacher |
| la silla | chair |
| la mesa | table |
| la puerta | door |
| la ventana | window |
| el pizarrón | chalkboard |
| el papel | paper |
| el lápiz | pencil |
| la pluma | pen |
| la regla | ruler |
| las tijeras | scissors |
| el baño | bathroom |
| el agua | water |
| el teléfono | telephone |
| el autobús | bus |
| la bandera | flag |
Combine these with ¿Dónde está…? to ask where something is: ¿Dónde está el lápiz?
A bridge between the two languages
The same starter kit points teachers to cognates, words in two languages that share a similar meaning, spelling and pronunciation. It says almost 40 percent of all words in English have a related word in Spanish, and calls cognates an obvious bridge to English for Spanish-speaking learners. Its list includes pairs such as accident and accidente, animal and animal, attention and atención, and class and clase. Point these out when they come up.
How to learn them
- Start with the greetings and use them every morning.
- Add two commands a week, always with the same gesture.
- Label classroom objects with both words.
- Test yourself: cover the Spanish column and say each phrase from the English.
- Ask your pupils to check your pronunciation; it gives them a turn as the expert.
Language Lab's Spanish course is built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor, so you can hear these phrases and practise saying them before you use them in class.
Frequently asked
What Spanish phrases should a teacher learn first?
Buenos días, good morning; ¿Cómo te llamas?, what's your name?; ¿Comprendes?, do you understand?; ¡Muy bien!, very good!; and Hasta mañana, see you tomorrow.
How do you say sit down in Spanish?
Siéntate. Get up is Levántate.
How do you say listen and look in Spanish?
Escucha is listen, and Mira is look.
How do you ask a pupil if they understand in Spanish?
¿Comprendes? The answers are Sí, comprendo, yes, I understand, and No, no comprendo, no, I don't understand.
How do you say it's time to read in Spanish?
Es la hora de leer. Es la hora de means it's time, and you add the activity.
Why should teachers use Spanish phrases in class?
Colorín Colorado's starter kit says it can mean a great deal to students and their families, because making an effort shows that you respect and value their language.
Sources: Colorín Colorado, ELL Starter Kit for Educators: Common Classroom Phrases in Spanish and Cognates (adapted from the Eastern Stream Center on Resources and Training, Help! They Don't Speak English: Starter Kit for Primary Teachers, 2003). Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: Plaza Mayor, Salamanca, by Alexkom000 / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
