Introduction
When we have a conversation, it is inevitable to ask questions and answer the questions we are asked, right?
What you may not know is that you do not need to speak much Spanish to be able to communicate effectively!
With this in mind, in this guide I will teach you the 81 most relevant questions and answers of the Spanish language for English-speaking beginners.
They are questions and answers that we use constantly, that you will surely use every day in your own mother tongue.
These are phrases that you should consider a priority in your Spanish study if you are a beginner. You will use them very often on a day-to-day basis and on your travels.
You have the same content explained in Spanish. You can watch the video in Spanish with subtitles in Spanish or English for language immersion.
Who is this basic Spanish guide for?
This guide will be especially useful if you are a beginner and want to learn the basics of the Spanish language.However, if you already have some knowledge of Spanish, you can also take advantage of this guide to brush up on your Spanish skills. You will surely learn new things, too.
Do I need to have previous knowledge of Spanish to learn with this guide for English speakers?
If you already speak a little Spanish, you can continue learning with this guide.
If, on the other hand, you do not speak any Spanish, you can also learn the phrases of this guide for English speakers.
- In that case, you should at least be familiar with the sounds of Spanish. That will make it easier to learn these 81 questions and answers
You can learn the fundamental principles of Spanish pronunciation in this guide, which includes free material to download and practice.
You also have a FREE Spanish mini-course for English-speaking beginners. With the course, you will start speaking Spanish from scratch.
Al the end of this blog post you will find more FREE content for English-speaking beginners who want to learn Spanish from scratch, no registration required.
- You sign up with two clicks and you have no deadline to take the lessons.
- The course includes video classes, varied materials, and certificate.
Al the end of this blog post you will find more FREE content for English-speaking beginners who want to learn Spanish from scratch, no registration required.
What you will learn in this guide about Spanish language basics?
In this guide you will learn extremely useful and practical esources so that you can start communicating in Spanish – even if you have little previous knowledge of the language.You will also find the main interrogatives of the Spanish language.
The questions and answers in this free guide will help you:
- To talk to strangers, to introduce yourself and to offer basic information about yourself.
- To ask for help and to offer help.
- To communicate in shops and restaurants.
- To ask for information and to ask for directions in a new city.
- To indicate your likes and preferences.
- To express your opinion.
- To make proposals and invitations.
- This repertoire includes colloquial expressions so that you can speak Spanish with the ease of an a native Spanish speaker.
The material in this Spanish guide for English-speaking beginners
The PDF, which includes theory, summary, exercises, and answers.
Audio in Spanish with all questions and answers
espanol-preguntas-respuestas
espanol-preguntas-respuestas
Audio in Spanish (+ translation in English) with all questions and answers
preguntas-espanol-ingles
Audio in Spanish (+ translation in English) with the verbs of this guide to learn the vocabulary.
verbos-espanol-ingles
verbos-espanol-ingles
Audio in Spanish with the verbs of this guide, conjugated
esp-verb-inf
esp-verb-inf
Audio in Spanish with the expressions to say “you are crazy” and “I am joking”
espanol-broma-loco
espanol-broma-loco
Here you have the interactive flashcards with the questions and answers in Spanish of this guide (Spanish/English). You can choose your favorite gaming or learning mode.
In the audios you can change the playback speed, if you think it is too fast.
The meaning of the asterisks in this Portuguese guide (click to read the content)
Attention: the questions that are marked with an asterisk (*) are used in Spanish in informal situations.
- They are not slang, nor contain curse words, but they are not suitable for situations that require a certain formality, such as the work environment.
Attention: many of the Spanish phrases in this guide have two possibilities, depending on the formality of the situation in which we communicate.
- For this reason, you will see the slash (/) indicating these alternatives: first the phrase if we use “TÚ” (informal) as form of address and then the same phrase, but using “USTED” (formal) as form of address.
- Some phrases only appear with “TÚ” because they will normally only be used to talk to someone with whom we already have a personal relationship and, therefore, we address this person with “TÚ”.
The basic interrogatives in Spanish: vocabulary for English-speaking beginners
🎬 You will learn the most basic interrogatives and basic questions in Spanish on minute 01:59 of the video.
| ¿Qué? | What? |
| ¿Quién? ¿Quiénes? | Who? |
| ¿Cómo? | How? |
| ¿Dónde? | Where? |
| ¿De dónde? | From where? |
| ¿Adónde? | Where to? |
| ¿Cuándo? | When? |
| ¿Cuánto? ($) | How much? ($) |
| ¿Cuánto? ¿Cuánta? ¿Cuántos? ¿Cuántas? | How many? – How much? |
| ¿Cuánto tiempo? | How long? |
| ¿Por qué? Porque … . | Why? Because… |
| ¿Cuál? ¿Cuáles? | Which? |
| ¿Qué es eso? | What is this? |
| ¿Qué hora es? | What time is it? |
| ¿Qué día es hoy? | What day is today? |
You will learn how to indicate date and how to tell time in Spanish in these short videos for English speakers. The videos are part of a beginner’s guide to Spanish with helpful explanations and free material to practice and download for free.
How to introduce yourself and how to talk to strangers in Spanish: phrases for English-speaking beginners
🎬You will learn the questions to meet new people in Spanish on minute 11:37 of the video.
| Perdón. Perdona. / Perdone. | Sorry. Excuse me. |
| ¿Nos conocemos? ¿Te conozco de algo? | Do we know each other? Do I know you from somewhere? |
| ¿Cómo te llamas? / ¿Cómo se llama usted? | What is your name? |
| Yo me llamo … . ¡Mucho gusto! | My name is … . Nice to meet you! |
| ¿A qué te dedicas? / ¿A qué se dedica usted? | What do you do for a living? |
| Yo soy … . | I am … . |
| ¿Has estado alguna vez en España? / ¿Ha estado alguna vez en España? | Have you ever been to Spain? |
| Sí, estuve en … ./ No, aún no. | Yes, I was in…. / No, I have not been yet. |
| ¿Eres de aquí? / ¿Es usted de aquí? | Are you from here? |
| Sí. No, soy de … . | Yes. No, I am from … . |
| ¿Eres nuevo aquí? ¿Eres nueva aquí? / ¿Es usted nuevo aquí? ¿Es usted nueva aquí? | Are you new here? |
| ¿Vienes mucho por aquí? / ¿Viene usted mucho por aquí? | Do you come here often? |
| ¿Hablas inglés? / ¿Habla usted inglés? | Do you speak English? |
| ¿Por qué estudias español? / ¿Por qué estudia usted español? | Why do you learn Spanish? |
| Estudio español porque … . | I learn Spanish because … . |
You can learn how to introduce yourself (minute 06:13) and how to indicate your place of origin (minute 13:26) in Spanish in this video for English-speaking beginners. In the video you will learn the 62 most useful phrases for your next trip to a Spanish-speaking country (you have PDF, audio and more material to practice for free).
How to solve problems and how to ask for help in Spanish: phrases for English-speaking beginners
You will learn the questions to solve problems and ask for help / offer help in Spanish on minute 24:05 of the video.
| ¿Cómo te encuentras? / ¿Cómo se encuentra? | How are you feeling? |
| ¿Está todo en orden? | Is everything alright? |
| ¿Algo va mal? | Is there something wrong? |
| ¿Cuál es el problema? | What is the problem? |
| ¿Puedo hacer una pregunta? ¿Puedo preguntar algo? | Can I ask a question? Can I ask something? |
| ¿Me echas una mano? / ¿Me puede echar una mano? | Can you give me a helping hand? |
| ¿Necesitas ayuda? / ¿Necesita ayuda? | Do you need help? |
| ¿Puedo ayudar? | Can I help? |
In this short video you will learn useful phrases to facilitate communication in Spanish as a beginner. It is part of a series of videos for English speakers with free material to practice.
You will learn how to ask for information in Spanish with this short video, which is part of a series of videos in Spanish with practical explanations so that you communicate much better on a day-to-day basis and on trips.
How to shop and how to order food in Spanish: phrases for English-speaking beginners
You will learn the basic questions to communicate in shops, café and restaurant in Spanish on minute 27:54 of the video.
| ¿Quieres…? / ¿Quiere…? | Do you want …? |
| ¿Querías…? / ¿Quería…? | Would you like …? |
| ¿Te gustaría …? / ¿Le gustaría …? | Would you like …? |
| Sí, por favor. No, gracias. | Yes, please. No, thank you. |
| Sí, busco … . / Sí, necesito … . | Yes, I am looking for… . / Yes, I need … . |
| No, gracias, solo estoy mirando. Solo quería mirar. | No, thank you, I am just browsing. |
| ¿Me puedes ayudar? / ¿Me puede ayudar? | Can you help me? |
| ¿Tienes …? / ¿Tiene …? | Do you have…? |
| ¿Puedo…? | May I…? |
| ¿Me puedes dar …? / ¿Me puede dar …? | Can you give me …? Can I have …? |
| ¿Te importaría …? / ¿Le importaría …? | Would you mind …? |
| ¿Puedes …? / ¿Puede usted …? | Can you …? |
| Sí, puedo. No, no puedo. | Yes, I can. No, I cannot. |
| ¿Sabes …? / ¿Sabe usted …? | Do you know…? |
| Sí, sé. No sé. | Yes, I know. No, I don’t know. |
| ¿Conoces …? / ¿Conoce usted…? | Do you know…? |
| Sí, conozco. No conozco. | Yes, I know. No, I don’t know. |
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | How much does it cost? |
| ¿Algo más? | Do you want anything else? |
| ¿Puedo pagar (con tarjeta/en efectivo)? | Can I pay (by card / cash)? |
| ¿Me cobras? / ¿Me cobra? | Can I pay? |
You will learn useful phrases for shopping and for ordering at the café or restaurant in Spanish in these short videos with useful phrases. They are part of a free communication guide for English-speaking beginners with practical explanations and extra material.
How to find your way around the city in Spanish: phrases for English-speaking beginners
You will learn the essential questions to ask for information on the street in Spanish on the minute 41:45 of the video.
| ¿Hay un/a … por aquí? | Is there a … around here? |
| ¿Dónde está el/la …? | Where is …? |
| ¿Cómo voy a …? | How do I get to …? |
| ¿Me puedes llevar a …? / ¿Me puede llevar a …? | Can you take me to …? |
You will learn how to talk about city and transport in these two Spanish videos for English speakers, which are part of a free communication guide for beginners with videos, audios, quizzes and flashcards.
How to express your likes, preferences, and opinions in Spanish: phrases for English-speaking beginners
You will learn to indicate what things you like and what you think about a topic in Spanish on minute 44:57 of the video.
| ¿Te gusta…? ¿Te gustan…? / ¿Le gusta…? ¿Le gustan…? | Do you like? |
| Sí, me gusta/n. No, no me gusta/n. | Yes, I like. No, I do not like. |
| ¿Qué te gusta más, … o …? / ¿Qué le gusta más, … o …? | What do you like better, … or …? |
| Me gusta más … . | I like … better. |
| ¿Qué prefieres? / ¿Qué prefiere usted? | What do you prefer? |
| Prefiero … . | I prefer … . |
| ¿Qué piensas? / ¿Qué piensa usted? | What do you think? |
| Pienso que … . | I think that … . |
| ¿Qué crees? / ¿Qué cree usted? | What do you think? |
| Creo que … . | I think that … . |
You can learn to talk about the activities you like to do in Spanish in this short video for English-speaking beginners. In the explanations (available for free, with material to practice) you will better understand how to indicate your likes and preferences in Spanish.
How to make invitations and proposals in Spanish: phrases for English-speaking beginners
You will learn to invite someone in Spanish on minute 49:36 of the video.
| ¿Podemos hablar? | Can we talk? |
| ¿Tienes tiempo para…? | Do you have time for …? |
| ¿Quieres tomar algo? | Do you want to have a drink? |
| ¿Hacemos algo? | Shall we do something together? |
| ¿Vienes conmigo? / ¿Viene conmigo? | Will you come with me? |
| ¿Me acompañas? / ¿Me acompaña? | Will you join me? Will you come along? |
| ¿Te apuntas? | Are you in? |
| ¿Quieres salir conmigo? | Do you want to go out with me? |
| ¿Puedo invitarte a comer/cenar? | Can I buy you lunch/dinner? |
You will learn useful phrases to make invitations and to meet your friends in Spanish in this video for English-speaking beginners, which has more explanations and free material to practice.
How to say “I am joking” and “you are crazy” in Spanish: phrases for English-speaking beginners
You will learn informal phrases to indicate that you are kidding and that you think someone is crazy in Spanish on minute 54:30 of the video.
| ¡Estoy de broma! | I’m just kidding. |
| *¡Estoy de guasa! | I’m just kidding. |
| *¡Estoy de cachondeo! | I’m just kidding. |
| *¡Estoy de coña! | I’m just kidding. |
| *¡Te estoy vacilando! | I’m just kidding. |
| *¡Te estoy tomando el pelo! | I’m just kidding. |
| Esa idea es loca. | This is crazy! |
| ¡Qué locura! | This is a crazy idea! |
| Me vuelves loco/a. | You drive me crazy. |
| *¿Pero esto qué es? | What the hell? |
| ¡Estás loco! ¡Estás loca! | You are crazy. |
| *Estás un poco pa’llá. | You are crazy. |
| ¡Te has vuelto orate! | You are crazy. |
| *¡Estás flipando! | You are crazy. |
| *Eres un/a pirado/a. | You are crazy. |
| *Estás tarado/a. | You are crazy. |
| *Estás zumbado/a. | You are crazy. |
| *Estás chalado/a. | You are crazy. |
| *Estás tarumba. | You are crazy. |
| *Estás tarambana. | You are crazy. |
| *Se te ha ido la cabeza. | You went crazy. |
| *Se te ha ido la olla. Se te ha ido la perola. | You went crazy. |
| *Se te ha ido la pinza. | You went crazy. |
| *Te falta un tornillo. | You went crazy. |
| *¡Estás como una cabra/chota! | You are crazy. |
| *¡Estás como una regadera! | You are crazy. |
| *¡Estás como un cencerro! | You are crazy. |
| *¡Estás como las maracas de Machín! | You are crazy. |
| *Estás medio loco en el coco. | You are crazy. |
A quiz, so you can practice the most relevant questions and answers in Spanish for beginners
[tqb_quiz id='7103']
Online Self-Study Spanish Courses for Beginners (with Certificate)
If you have little or no prior knowledge of the Spanish language, you can start learning it with the FREE ONLINE SELF-STUDY MINI-COURSE.
The FREE course for English speakers includes certificate and varied digital materials.
The FREE course for English speakers includes certificate and varied digital materials.
The signup process is fast and intuitive. You can start learning whenever you want. You do not have a deadline to finish the online course.
Here is more information about the free Spanish mini-course.
You have two previews of course content. You can access these free course sneak peeks without having to sign up.
- The first is a pleasant first contact with the foreign language.
- The second includes many free tips to motivate and to inspire your learning.
The mini-course works as an introduction to the Spanish language and will allow you to continue learning more easily.
When you finish the mini-course you get a discount coupon to take the comprehensive Spanish course with which you will conclude the A1 level.
But the mini-course is FREE, NO STRINGS ATTACHED. If the mini-course has inspired you to keep on learning, the A1 course is the best way to boost your Spanish skills comfortably and effectively.
The A1-Spanish course includes varied digital materials, a certificate, and webinars where you can ask your questions in real time.
You have a free trial lesson available.
Apart from the information on the course page, you have the FAQ and more information about the self-study system available here. If you have more questions, get in touch.
Learn Spanish from Scratch: Newsletter, YouTube, and Social Media
You can sign up for the Spanish newsletter for English-speaking beginners for free, with content and tips to learn the language for free.
You can learn Spanish with content for beginners on social media:
Do not miss the YouTube channel! Subscribe!
You have this list with videos to get familiar with the basics of the Spanish language in a communicative and enjoyable way (explanations in English).
The same content is available in Spanish (with Spanish / English subtitles) so you can do language immersion.
In this list you will find videos to learn the must-know Spanish vocabulary (explanations in English).
The same content is available in Spanish (with Spanish / English subtitles) so you can do language immersion.
You will learn Spanish in a matter of seconds in this list of short videos to master basic phrases.
More Free Content to Learn Spanish: Blog for English-speaking Beginners
On the Spanish self-study blog for English speakers, you will find varied resources for beginners (videos, PDF, cheat sheets, audios, interactive flashcards, quiz).
You can download the materials for free, no need to subscribe.
Some outstanding Spanish blog posts for beginners are the following…
(Here you have the video and the links to access the free material.)
(Here is a list of all the free material available to English speakers.)
The pronunciation guide that includes 20+ essential expressions to start speaking Spanish in a matter of minutes.
The guide that will teach you how to pronounce the 93+ most googled words in Spanish by foreigners.
Learn your first words in Spanish: the greetings, the farewells and the most relevant politeness phrases that will give you the basic tools to start communication in the new language.
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2021 Alicia Montero Schiemann
All rights reserved.
Discens Language Learning®
2021 Alicia Montero Schiemann
All rights reserved.
Discens Language Learning®