10 Most Common Spanish Phrases to Keep the Conversation Moving
When is the last time you said good morning to a stranger? If you can’t remember, then we have something in common. So why are we often taught beginning Spanish phrases starting with things like buenos días? Who are all these strangers that I am supposedly greeting early in the morning?
If you are learning Spanish online, you don’t want boring formalities. Nobody wants to learn stuff that you don’t say in real life. You want useful stuff! Here are 10 of the most common Spanish phrases to keep the conversation moving.
Spanish Conversation Starters
This kind of phrase is a good way to start a conversation. When you hit that awkward silence, pull one of these common Spanish phrases out to begin discussing a new topic. You can use one conversation starter or all three together. This works well during a walk, where you can talk about anything nearby.
¿Qué linda la iglesia, no? ¿Sabías que es una copia de la iglesia en Sevilla? ¿Conoces la Alhambra?
Pretty church, right? Did you know it’s a copy of the church in Seville? Are you familiar with the Alhambra?
Sharing Opinions in Spanish
These common Spanish phrases are all about sharing your opinion. When you are learning Spanish for beginners, it can be hard to say things nicely. Your basic vocabulary might sound abrupt or harsh. Using these phrases, you can introduce your opinions in a polite way.
Lo que pasa es que no estoy de acuerdo. Me parece que pistacho es mejor que chocolate. Claro que sí chocolate es rico, pero consideramos que el helado de pistacho es mas raro.
What happens is that I don’t agree. It seems to me that pistachio is better than chocolate. Of course chocolate is delicious, but lets consider that pistachio is rarer.
How to keep the conversation going in Spanish
This kind of phrase is useful to keep people talking. During conversations, make small comments to keep your friends talking. These comments are not enough to take over the conversation, but just enough to show you are interested. This works during long stories, gossip, and more.
Carol no vuelve a estudiar este semestre. – Carol is not returning to study this semester.
No me digas. ¿En serio? – You’re joking. Are you serious?
Sí, ella se quedó en casa para cuidar a su mamá que esta enferma. – Yes she stayed home to take care of her mother who is sick.
Guau no tenía idea. Qué trista para ella. – Wow I had no idea. How sad for her.
Me imagino. – I can imagine.
From conversation starters to sharing opinions, these are the most useful common Spanish phrases to make conversation. Mix these phrases up with well-known Spanish idioms and you can keep things moving. If I had learned these phrases earlier, I would have felt more comfortable talking in Spanish over the phone.
Remember: The more you participate in conversation, the better you will be at it. When you started learning Spanish online, did you get useful phrases or did you start off with boring, formal conversations like I did?
If you’d like to put these phrases into practise, visit the Lingoda website and sign up for your free 7-day trial with our native speaking teachers today!
Alison Maciejewski Cortez
Alison Maciejewski Cortez is Chilean-American, born and raised in California. She studied abroad in Spain, has lived in multiple countries, and now calls Mexico home. She believes that learning how to order a beer in a new language reveals a lot about local culture. Alison speaks English, Spanish, and Thai fluently and studies Czech and Turkish. Her tech copywriting business takes her around the world and she is excited to share language tips as part of the Lingoda team. Follow her culinary and cultural experiences on X.
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