Conversation Basics

Episode #9 of the course Spanish language basics by Nicole Joslin

 

Welcome to Day 9 of this course on Spanish basics!

Today, we’re going to look at some important phrases that you should use in your first Spanish conversation. In this lesson, you’re going to be using all of the concepts you’ve learned so far in the course, so feel free to review previous emails if you need to.

In your first Spanish conversation, you should be able to greet your conversation partner, ask for their name, tell them your name, ask them how they are, tell them how you are, ask them where they are from, and tell them where you are from. Then you’ll need to be able to end the conversation.

Are you ready? Let’s go!

 

Greetings

The following are some greetings that you can use in Spanish:

• ¡Hola! (hello)
• ¡Buenos días! (good day/good morning)
• ¡Buenas tardes! (good afternoon/good evening)

Notice that buenos días can be used as in good day or good morning in English. You should use it before 12 o’clock noon. Buenas tardes can be used as in good afternoon or good evening in English. You should use it after 12 o’clock noon.

 

Your name

This is how you can ask someone for their name in Spanish:

• ¿Cómo te llamas? (informal)
• ¿Cómo se llama? (formal)

Remember how we have to use a different pronoun and verb form depending on who we are talking to? Well, in this case, we must also use a different form of the question What’s your name?

To tell someone your name, you don’t have to worry about any formal or informal speech. You can just say: Me llamo _______.

To respond to someone saying their name, you can say the following phrases:

• Mucho gusto conocerte (very pleased to meet you; informal)
• Mucho gusto conocerle (very pleased to meet you; formal)
• Encantado (pleased to meet you; if you are a male)
• Encantada (pleased to meet you; if you are a female)

 

How are you?

If you want to ask someone how they are feeling, you also have to consider formal or informal speech:

• ¿Cómo estás? (informal)
• ¿Cómo está? (formal)

To respond to the question How are you? you can say:

• Estoy bien (I’m well)
• Estoy mal (I’m doing badly)
• Más o menos (ok, so-so)

 

Where are you from?

To ask someone where they are from, you should also use the formal or informal phrases:

• ¿De dónde eres? (informal)
• ¿De dónde es? (formal)

To respond, you just have to say: Soy de….(country name).

 

Ending a conversation

When you want to finish a conversation, you can say the following phrases:

• Adiós (goodbye)
• Hasta luego (see you later)
• Hasta entonces (see you then)
• Ciao (see ya; informal)

¡Felicidades! Congratulations! You now have the basics of Spanish conversation down. Tune in tomorrow for the final day of the course, when I’ll give you the steps to be an excellent self-directed Spanish student.

¡Hasta entonces!
Nikki

 

Recommended book by Highbrow

“Spanish Conversation” by Jean Yates

 

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