![]() You might also see an upside down exclamation mark (¡) at the beginning of written sentences that conclude with one. Don’t be thrown by the upside down question mark (¿) that appears at the beginning of a written question in Spanish. PleasantriesĪ quick note if you’re not familiar with Spanish. The double “l” in “llama” is pronounced as a “y” (“Me Yamo”). To introduce yourself, you simply say “ Me llamo…” followed by your name. If you want to take it a little further, you can also try using “Buenos dias” (good morning) “Buenas tardes” (good afternoon) and “Buenas noches” (good evening). This is quite sufficient for greeting someone in Cuba, since it’s a fairly informal society. You probably already know that “Hola” is the Spanish word for hello. So which Spanish phrases should you know before you go to Cuba? 1. It’s not as though you need to be fluent, and you certainly won’t be able to have deep and meaningful conversations about the nature of existence, but you will find that things will run smoother if you know just a few basics. Knowing a little bit of Spanish will really be helpful in these instances. The growing tourism sector in Cuba means that English is becoming more and more widespread, although this is less true in the small towns and villages. If you’re planning a getaway to the island nation, you might be wondering how easy it is to communicate. You are incredibly thankful when you see English translations on menus and public transport maps when you’re in some parts of the world.Īnd then there are countries where the locals speak English surprisingly well, like if you travel to the Nordic countries. It can be particularly difficult when you travel to Asia or the Middle East – filled with exotic lands that use an entirely different alphabet. A kind a sweet “adiós” will always sound more polite than a rude “hasta luego”.The language barrier can be both enjoyable and frustrating when you travel to a different country. It’s just a habit.Īs you’ll see in future lessons, being polite in Spanish it’s many times not a matter of the words you say, but HOW you say them. However, in Spain is very common to alternate both when leaving: if you say “hasta luego” the other will say “adiós” and vice-versa. Both refer to a short lack of time until the next meeting, but some people think that “hasta luego” is more polite. The difference between “hasta luego” and “adiós” is less clear. “Hasta la vista” means “so long”, and it’s used when you don’t know when you will meet the other person again. You say it when you expect to see the other person in a short period of time, usually defined (for example, if you’ll meet again later in the day). “Hasta pronto” means literally “see you soon”. Hasta luego, hasta pronto, hasta la vista, adiós Englishĭownload table in PDF Lesson Example: greetings Spain is a country that receives millions of tourists a year, so we’ve also included a few phrases just in case they ask you where you’re from (very usual), but it will be covered in deep in another lesson. Rarely they’ll say no, and probably you’ll hear “Por supuesto” (“of course”), or “¡claro!” (sure!). If you feel that it is appropriate, you also can ask the other person “¿Le puedo tutear?”. They might say “Puedes tutearme”, meaning “You can treat me informally”. “Tutear” means to use the informal way when speaking with the other person, with the pronouns in the second person: “tú” (singular) and “vosotros” (plural). For this purpose, in Spanish language there is the verb “ tutear“, that has no translation in English. Sometimes people will tell you that you don’t have to be formal. If you’re not sure when to use a formal or informal expression, just use the formal one. Formal phrases are used with strangers, in places or situations that are naturally formal (at government bodies, speaking with clients, etc) and with older people. When using greetings in Spanish it is important to pay attention to forms (formal/ informal) and gender for some expressions (masculine/ feminine). It is almost a cliché to start a conversation with anyone. Usually people will always say they’re fine if you are not well acquainted, even if they’re not ok. Greetings in Spanish are pretty much alike many other languages, including English.
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