Learn Your First Spanish Words in Minutes!
Imagine you’re visiting Spain for the first time.
You walk into a café.
You want to greet someone, order something, thank them, and ask how much it costs.
Do you need to know hundreds of Spanish words?
Nope. 😎
You can start with just a few essential words and phrases.
In this guide, you’ll learn 5 practical Spanish expressions that can help you in everyday situations—from saying hello to asking about a price.
And there’s a little challenge waiting for you at the end. 👀
Let’s start!
🇪🇸 1. Hola — Hello
Hola
Meaning: Hello
Pronunciation: OH-lah
💡 Important: The H is silent in Spanish.
So don’t say:
❌ HOH-lah
Say:
✅ OH-lah
When can you use it?
Almost anytime.
You can say hola to:
- Friends
- Family
- People you meet
- Shopkeepers
- Someone you’re starting a conversation with
For example:
Hola, ¿cómo estás?
= Hello, how are you?
🧠 Easy memory trick
Think:
Hola = Hello
Both start with an O sound when pronounced.
🇪🇸 2. Gracias — Thank You
Gracias
Meaning: Thank you
Pronunciation: GRAH-syahs
This is one of the most useful Spanish words you’ll ever learn.
Someone helps you?
Gracias.
Someone gives you your food?
Gracias.
Someone holds the door open?
Gracias.
It’s simple—but very important.
Want to say “Thank you very much”?
Say:
Muchas gracias
Meaning: Thank you very much
Pronunciation: MOO-chahs GRAH-syahs
🇪🇸 3. Por favor — Please
Por favor
Meaning: Please
Pronunciation: por fah-VOR
This is your go-to phrase whenever you want to make a polite request.
For example:
Un café, por favor.
= A coffee, please.
Or:
Agua, por favor.
= Water, please.
🧠 Remember:
Gracias = Thank you
Por favor = Please
These two should be among the first Spanish expressions you memorise.
🇪🇸 4. Adiós — Goodbye
Adiós
Meaning: Goodbye
Pronunciation: ah-DYOS
When it’s time to leave, you can simply say:
Adiós!
But Spanish gives you another useful option.
Hasta luego
Meaning: See you later
Pronunciation: AH-stah LWEH-goh
So:
Adiós → Goodbye
Hasta luego → See you later
Both are useful, but hasta luego is especially handy when you expect to see the person again.
🇪🇸 5. ¿Cuánto cuesta? — How Much Does It Cost?
Now let’s learn a phrase that can be incredibly useful when travelling.
¿Cuánto cuesta?
Meaning: How much does it cost?
Pronunciation: KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah
Imagine you’re at a market and see something you want to buy.
You can simply ask:
¿Cuánto cuesta?
The seller can then tell you the price.
You can use this phrase when shopping for:
🛍️ Clothes
🥖 Food
🎁 Souvenirs
☕ Drinks
🎟️ Tickets
🧠 Quick memory trick
Cuánto = how much
cuesta = costs
So:
¿Cuánto cuesta? = How much does it cost?
🎯 Can You Remember Them?
Let’s see how much you remember without looking back.
How do you say “Hello”?
A) Gracias
B) Hola
C) Adiós
How do you say “Thank you”?
A) Gracias
B) Por favor
C) Hola
How do you say “Please”?
A) Adiós
B) Hola
C) Por favor
How do you say “Goodbye”?
A) Gracias
B) Adiós
C) Cuánto
How do you ask “How much does it cost?”
A) ¿Cuánto cuesta?
B) Muchas gracias
C) Hasta luego
Don’t scroll yet.
Try to answer all five first! 👀
👇
👇
👇
🏆 Answer Key
1. Hola ✅
Hello
2. Gracias ✅
Thank you
3. Por favor ✅
Please
4. Adiós ✅
Goodbye
5. ¿Cuánto cuesta? ✅
How much does it cost?
🏅 What’s Your Score?
🔥 5/5
¡Excelente!
You’re off to a great start.
👍 3–4/5
Very good!
Review the ones you missed once more.
💪 1–2/5
No problem.
Read the examples aloud and try the quiz again.
😄 0/5
Don’t worry!
You’re here to learn, not to be perfect.
Try the quiz one more time after reviewing the five expressions.
🗣️ Don’t Just Read Spanish—Use It!
Reading a word once isn’t enough.
Try this tiny conversation:
A: Hola!
B: Hola!
A: Un café, por favor.
B: ¡Claro!
A: Gracias.
B: ¡De nada!
You’ve just created a tiny Spanish conversation using words you learned in this article.
That’s the goal.
Learn → Speak → Repeat
💡 3 Easy Ways to Practise Spanish Every Day
Learning vocabulary becomes much easier when you turn it into a daily habit.
1️⃣ Speak Out Loud
Don’t just read:
Hola
Say it.
Don’t just look at:
Gracias
Say it.
Your mouth needs practice too—not just your eyes.
Try saying all five expressions aloud twice a day.
2️⃣ Label Things Around You
Put small notes around your room.
For example:
la puerta — door
la mesa — table
el libro — book
Every time you see the object, try to remember its Spanish word.
This turns ordinary surroundings into a mini Spanish classroom.
3️⃣ Think in Spanish
The next time you want to say:
“Thank you.”
Pause.
Think:
Gracias.
Someone says hello?
Think:
Hola.
You want to ask the price?
Think:
¿Cuánto cuesta?
These tiny mental exercises can help Spanish vocabulary become more automatic.
🚀 Ready for the Next Step?
These five expressions are just the beginning.
Now that you know some basic Spanish, your next goal should be building a larger everyday vocabulary.
Confused about “por” and “para” in Spanish? Learn the simple difference with easy examples in our beginner-friendly guide.
📌 Your 5 Spanish Essentials
Save these somewhere you can see them:
🇪🇸 Hola — Hello
🇪🇸 Gracias — Thank you
🇪🇸 Por favor — Please
🇪🇸 Adiós — Goodbye
🇪🇸 ¿Cuánto cuesta? — How much does it cost?
Can you say all five without looking?
If yes, you’re ready for the next lesson. 🎯
❤️ Final Challenge
Imagine you’re travelling in a Spanish-speaking country.
Someone greets you.
What do you say?
Hola! 👋
They help you.
What do you say?
Gracias! 😊
You want to ask for something politely.
What do you say?
Por favor. 🙏
You’re leaving.
What do you say?
Adiós! 👋
You see something you want to buy.
What do you ask?
¿Cuánto cuesta? 💶
See?
You already have the foundation for several real-life interactions in Spanish.
You don’t need to know everything before you start speaking.
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