Thank you
Gracias is thank you; muchas gracias is thank you very much (muchas because gracias is feminine plural). The reply is de nada (you're welcome — literally of nothing).
| Thank you. You're welcome. | Gracias. De nada. |
| Thank you very much, teacher. | Muchas gracias, profesor. |
Please
Por favor goes at the start or the end of a request. Spaniards use it less than English speakers use please, and a friendly tone does much of its work.
| A juice, please. | Un zumo, por favor. |
| Milk? Yes, please. | ¿Leche? Sí, por favor. |
Sorry
Lo siento (I'm sorry) apologises for something, or sympathises: lo siento mucho is I'm very sorry.
| I'm sorry, I don't speak English. | Lo siento, no hablo inglés. |
| I'm very sorry. | Lo siento mucho. |
Excuse me
To get someone's attention — to ask the way, for example — say perdona to a friend or a young person and perdone to a stranger you would call usted. Perdón is a quick sorry or pardon?.
| to | say |
|---|---|
| a friend (tú) | perdona |
| a stranger (usted) | perdone |
| anyone, quickly | perdón |
| Excuse me, where is the bank? | Perdona, ¿dónde está el banco? |
| Excuse me, where is the hotel? | Perdone, ¿dónde está el hotel? |
OK and of course
Vale is the Spanish OK — you will hear it in every conversation in Spain, to agree, to confirm a plan, or as a question tag (¿vale? = OK?). Latin America uses other words; in Spain it is vale. De acuerdo is a slightly more formal agreed. Claro means of course or sure, and entonces (then, so) moves a conversation on.
| you hear | you answer |
|---|---|
| Estudiamos ahora, ¿vale? | Vale. |
| ¿Estás bien? | ¡Claro! |
| Gracias. | De nada. |
| We study now, OK? OK. | Estudiamos ahora, ¿vale? Vale. |
| Are you OK? Of course! | ¿Estás bien? ¡Claro! |
| Shall we eat here? All right. | ¿Comemos aquí? De acuerdo. |
| So, shall we eat now? | Entonces, ¿comemos ahora? |
