Susana Wald

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-01-2022

Speaking Spanish requires you to keep tabs on all sorts of topics: essential words and phrases, basic Spanish questions, and the proper gender of articles. Plus, if you intend to travel, you want to be able to get help and give warnings in the case of an emergency. Refer to this Cheat Sheet for your Spanish essentials.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Knowing how to bargain for goods when you’re shopping at a traditional Spanish market can help you get the best merchandise at the best price. Bargaining, or haggling, is a negotiation tactic that many people are unaccustomed to, but these tips will have you bartering like a pro in no time. If you shop in traditional Spanish markets, you should get there early. Many merchants feel that they must make a first sale to kick off their day. If you find yourself in such a situation, you may notice that the merchant doesn’t want you to leave without buying something and is therefore more willing to reduce the price to make a sale, and you can end up with a bargain. Basic Spanish bargaining phrases The following phrases can help you when you need to haggle in the market place: ¿Cuánto cuesta? (kooahn-toh kooehs-tah) (How much is it?) ¿Cuánto vale? (kooahn-toh bvah-leh) (How much is it worth?) ¿A cuánto? (ah kooahn-toh) (How much?) Es barato. (ehs bvah-rah-toh) (It’s cheap/inexpensive.) Es caro. (ehs kah-roh) (It’s expensive.) Bargaining at its best Are you ready to bargain? Use these phrases to try it out: Shopper: Este tapete, ¿cuánto cuesta? ehs-teh tah-peh-teh kooahn-toh kooehs-tah How much is this rug? Merchant: Quinientos pesos. kee-neeehn-tohs peh-sohs Five hundred pesos. Shopper: ¿Tiene otros más baratos? teeeh-neh oh-trohs mahs bvah-rah-tohs Do you have cheaper ones? Merchant: Tengo este, más pequeño. tehn-goh ehs-teh mahs peh-keh-nyoh I have this smaller one. Shopper: No me gusta el dibujo. noh meh goos-tah ehl dee-bvoo-Hoh I don’t like the pattern. Merchant: Este en blanco y negro, a trescientos. ehs-teh ehn bvlahn-koh ee neh-groh ah trehs-seeehn-tohs This black and white one, for three hundred. Shopper: Me gusta. ¿A doscientos? meh goos-tah ah dohs-seeehn-tohs I like it. Two hundred? Merchant: No puedo. Doscientos cincuenta. Último precio. noh pooeh-doh dohs-seeehn-tohs seen-kooehn-tah ool-tee-moh preh-seeoh I can’t. Two hundred and fifty. Last price. Shopper: Bueno, me lo llevo. bvooeh-noh meh loh yeh-bvoh Good. I’ll take it. Adding a little fun to bargaining Use these phrases to provide emphasis. You don’t need to use these all the time, especially the second and third ones, but they’re fun to use and help you express a certain level of emotion: ¡Una ganga! (oo-nah gahn-gah) (A bargain!) ¡Un robo! (oon roh-bvoh) (A burglary!) ¡Un asalto! (oon ah-sahl-toh) (A holdup!)

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

As with any language, the number of Spanish words and phrases can be intimidating. If you're just beginning to explore Spanish, you can feign fluency with these essential words and phrases until your Spanish is up to snuff. ¡Hola! (¡oh-lah!) (Hello!) Por favor. (pohr fah-bvohr.) (Please.) Gracias. (grah-seeahs.) (Thank you.) ¿Dónde está el baño? (¿dohn-deh ehs-tah ehl bvah-nyoh?) (Where is the bathroom?) Lo siento. (loh seeehn-toh.) (I'm sorry.) ¿Habla usted inglés? (¿ah-bvlah oohs-tehd een-glehs?) (Do you speak English?) No hablo mucho español. (no ah-bvloh mooh-choh ehs-pah-nyohl.) (I don't speak much Spanish.) No sé. (noh seh.) (I don't know.) Claro. (clah-roh.) (I understand. [Literally: Clear.]) Adiós. (ah-dee-ohs.) (Good-bye.)

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Like many things in the Spanish language, Spanish articles have either a masculine or a feminine gender that must match the masculine or feminine gender of the Spanish nouns you pair them with. (For example, you say la blusa (lah bvlooh-sah) (the blouse) but el vestido (ehl bvehs-tee-doh) (the dress). Articles in Spanish include the (a definite article) and a, an, and some (indefinite articles). English Spanish Masculine Feminine the (singular) el (ehl) la (lah) the (plural) los (lohs) las (lahs) a, an (singular) un (oohn) una (ooh-nah) some (plural) unos (ooh-nohs) unas (ooh-nahs)

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Emergencies can happen whether you know Spanish or not, so if you're in a Spanish-speaking area, you need to be prepared to warn others and/or get help in Spanish should an emergency situation arise. Following are some basic Spanish distress-signaling words: ¡Socorro! (¡soh-koh-rroh!) (Help!) ¡Auxilio! (¡ahoohk-see-leeoh!) (Help!) ¡Ayúdeme! (¡ah-yooh-deh-meh?) (Help me!) ¡Rápido! (¡rrah-pee-doh!) (Quick!) ¡Apúrense! (¡ah-pooh-rehn-seh!) (Hurry!) If you face some sort of disaster, use one of the following words: ¡Incendio! (¡een-sehn-deeoh!) (Fire!) ¡Inundación! (¡ee-noohn-dah-seeohn!) (Flood!) ¡Temblor! (¡tehm-bvlohr!) (Earth tremor!) ¡Terremoto! (¡teh-rreh-moh-toh!) (Earthquake!) ¡Maremoto! (¡mah-reh-moh-toh!) (Tidal wave!) When giving a warning, you have a choice. In Mexico shout ¡Aguas! (¡ah-goohahs!) (Watch out!) ¡Ojo! (¡oh-Hoh!) (Look out! [Literally: eye]) Everywhere else, yell ¡Cuidado! (koohee-dah-doh) (Watch out!).

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Knowing how to ask basic questions in Spanish — or any other language — is essential in a global society. To ask for information in Spanish, use these basic Spanish question words and example questions. ¿Quién? (¿keeehn?) (Who?) ¿Qué? (¿keh?) (What?) ¿Dónde? (¿dohn-deh?) (Where?) ¿Cuándo? (¿koohahn-doh?) (When?) ¿Por qué? (¿pohr keh?) (Why?) ¿Cuál? (¿koohahl?) (Which?) ¿Cómo? (¿koh-moh?) (How?) ¿Cuánto? (¿koohahn-toh?) (How much?) The following are examples of these question words in action that you may find useful: ¿Quién es él? (¿keeehn ehs ehl?) (Who is he?) ¿Qué hace usted? (¿keh ah-seh oohs-tehd?) (What do you do?) ¿Dónde viven ustedes? (¿dohn-deh bvee-bvehn oohs-teh-dehs?) (Where do you live?) ¿Cuándo llegan ellos? (¿koohahn-doh yeh-gahn eh-yohs?) (When do they arrive?) ¿Por qué está usted aquí? (¿pohr keh ehs-tah oosh-tehd ah-kee?) (Why are you [formal] here?) ¿Cuál restaurante es mejor? (¿kooahl rehs-tahooh-rahn-teh ehs meh-Hohr?) (Which restaurant is better?) ¿Cómo es su casa? (¿koh-moh ehs sooh kah-sah?) (How is their house? or What's their house like?) ¿Cuánto cuesta el boleto? (¿koohahn-toh koohehs-tah ehl bvoh-leh-toh?) (How much is the ticket?)