Spanish for Your First 30 Days in Spain

Your first month in Spain can involve a lot at once: transport, keys, paperwork, shopping, introductions, and unfamiliar routines. These phrases won’t cover every possibility, but they’ll give you a reliable starting point.

Start every interaction well

Spanish	English
Hola.	Hello.
Buenos días.	Good morning.
Buenas tardes.	Good afternoon.
Por favor.	Please.
Gracias.	Thank you.
Perdona / Disculpe.	Excuse me. (informal / formal)

In Spain, greeting someone before asking a question usually makes the exchange feel warmer and more natural.

When you don’t understand

Spanish	English
No entiendo.	I don’t understand.
¿Puedes repetirlo, por favor?	Can you repeat that, please?
¿Puedes hablar más despacio?	Can you speak more slowly?
¿Qué significa ___?	What does ___ mean?
Estoy aprendiendo español.	I’m learning Spanish.

Getting around

Spanish	English
¿Dónde está ___?	Where is ___?
¿Cómo llego a ___?	How do I get to ___?
¿Esta línea va a ___?	Does this line go to ___?
Un billete, por favor.	One ticket, please.
¿A qué hora sale?	What time does it leave?

Shopping and paying

Spanish	English
¿Cuánto cuesta?	How much does it cost?
Quisiera esto, por favor.	I’d like this, please.
¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?	Can I pay by card?
¿Tiene algo más pequeño/grande?	Do you have something smaller/larger?
Solo estoy mirando, gracias.	I’m just looking, thanks.

Housing and deliveries

Spanish	English
Vivo en ___.	I live at/in ___.
Tengo una cita.	I have an appointment.
Hay un problema con ___.	There’s a problem with ___.
¿Cuándo llegará?	When will it arrive?
¿Puede dejarlo aquí?	Can you leave it here?

Appointments and basic admin

Spanish	English
Quisiera pedir cita.	I’d like to make an appointment.
¿Qué documentos necesito?	Which documents do I need?
¿Tengo que rellenar este formulario?	Do I have to fill out this form?
¿Me lo puede escribir?	Can you write it down for me?
¿Cuál es el siguiente paso?	What’s the next step?

Learn phrases as flexible patterns

Don’t memorize every sentence as a separate object. Notice the reusable frame: ¿Dónde está ___?, Quisiera ___, or Hay un problema con ___. Add the word you need and you can handle dozens of situations.

A simple 30-day study plan

Week 1: greetings, numbers, and asking people to repeat themselves.
Week 2: transport, shopping, and ordering food.
Week 3: housing, appointments, and explaining simple problems.
Week 4: short conversations about yourself, your plans, and your daily life.

Say the phrases aloud, use them in real situations, and keep a short list of what you needed but couldn’t say. That list is the beginning of a personalized learning plan.

Turn useful phrases into real conversation.

Your free 30-minute lesson will focus on the situations you need to handle first.

Book your free lesson