Common Spanish Phrases
Common Spanish phrases are extremely useful for anyone
traveling to a Spanish-speaking country. Wouldn't it be great
if you could just walk into a hotel and have the phrases ready
to check in, to ask for an alarm call in the morning, etc? Or
if you had the Spanish phrases to order your meal in a
restaurant, ask for your size in a clothes shop, ask for
directions if you get lost, explain to the doctor exactly where
it hurts, and so on. So, let's see where exactly you'll be able
to get access to lots of common Spanish phrases.
Common Spanish Phrases on Internet
There are a number of very useful sites offering common
Spanish phrases on their pages.
- One of the sites I find most useful is Spanish Phrase Finder, by Tiscali UK.
You'll find more than 70 topics from Accommodation to
Work. Each Phrase is accompanied by a simple
pronunciation guide which ensures that there's no
problem pronouncing the Spanish words. In some cases you
will even find a list of the possible answers that you
may hear when you use these phrases. The site also
includes a pronunciation guide, and a basic Spanish
grammar guide.
- SmartPhrase.com also has a good list
of common Spanish phrases, divided up between general
words, food and drink, staying places, transport, money
and banks, going out, you and family, shopping, medical
and a number of other categories. Perhaps one weak point
of this website is that there is no indication of
pronunciation. Fortunately, Spanish is not a difficult
language, so this will not be a problem for anyone who
has studied even only a little Spanish.
- Spanish Theme Dictionaries offers two
theme dictionaries with a number of useful common
Spanish phrases. The first theme dictionary is a
survival dictionary, so that you can be ready at any
time when you visit a Latin country with phrases for
asking in the street, introducing yourself, saying
goodbye, etc. The second theme dictionary is a love
dictionary - if you don't know how to express your
feelings to your boy/girlfriend in Spanish, this
dictionary can help you. Say it with love!
Books with Common Spanish Phrases
I've also found a number of books on common Spanish phrases
that you can buy and take with you on your trip.
- A very useful book is The Everything Spanish Phrase Book: A
Quick Reference for Any Situation (Everything
Series). This book features a practical, real-world
approach to language learning that is both quick and
easy to use. From ordering dinner and asking for
directions to working and communicating in Latino
communities, this handy guide provides readers with all
they need as ellos hablan español in any setting. It is
organized by situation, and contains the right words for
traveling and making reservations, dining and shopping,
speaking Spanish in a business setting, working with the
Latino community, etc. It is fully indexed and complete
with a pronunciation guide and helpful dictionaries. All
in all, it is a very useful book for anyone who is
looking for those common Spanish phrases.
- Of course, the classic phrase books are the Berlitz Spanish Phrase Book (for
visits to Spain) and the Berlitz Latin American Spanish Phrase
Book (for visits to Latin America). These portable,
practical Spanish phrase books are perfect for both
business travelers and vacationers. From everyday
expressions to culture and safety tips, the books allow
you to converse with confidence and travel with ease
Color-coded sections, a pronunciation guide, and dialog
boxes featuring typical conversations help you
communicate easily, intelligibly, and comfortably with
native Spanish speakers.
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