Tool & guide

Practice Spanish conversation topics for your next trip

Nine short Spanish conversations, each with something to get done, from setting a time for coffee to returning a lamp that flickers. Read one, then hide your side and say your lines.

Read the guide ↓

The topics

The 9 conversations

Pick a speaker to hide that side of each conversation. Each topic ends with its key words, and a note marks where Spain and Latin America differ.

Practice as

Show English

Listen buttons appear when your browser has a Spanish voice installed (most desktop browsers and phones do).

Weekend plans

Planes para el fin de semana

You agree on a day and a time. The first plan falls through, and that’s the useful half.

A: ¿Qué vas a hacer este fin de semana?
What are you doing this weekend?

B: El sábado voy al mercado por la mañana. ¿Y tú?
On Saturday I’m going to the market in the morning. And you?

A: Todavía no tengo planes. ¿Tomamos un café después?
I don’t have plans yet. Shall we get a coffee afterwards?

B: Me encantaría, pero es que el sábado por la tarde trabajo.
I’d love to, but the thing is I work on Saturday afternoon.

A: ¿Y el domingo?
And Sunday?

B: El domingo sí. ¿A las cinco?
Sunday, yes. At five?

A: A las cinco no puedo. ¿Te parece bien a las seis?
I can’t at five. Does six work for you?

B: Vale, a las seis en la cafetería de la plaza.
OK, at six at the café in the square.

es que…: : the thing is… (the softener before an excuse)
todavía no: : not yet
te parece bien…: : … works for you (parecer takes an indirect pronoun, like gustar)
me encantaría: : I’d love to
vale: : OK (Spain; Mexico: sale or va)

Cooking together

Cocinar juntos

You decide what to make from what’s in the fridge and split up the jobs.

A: ¿Qué te apetece cenar hoy?
What do you feel like for dinner today?

B: Algo rápido, es que tengo hambre. Tengo pasta y unas verduras.
Something quick, I’m hungry. I have pasta and some vegetables.

A: ¿Hacemos pasta con calabacín y tomate?
Shall we make pasta with zucchini and tomato?

B: Buena idea. ¿Tienes ajo?
Good idea. Do you have garlic?

A: Sí, y también queso. ¿Cuánto tarda?
Yes, and cheese too. How long does it take?

B: Veinte minutos. Yo corto las verduras y tú pones el agua.
Twenty minutes. I’ll chop the vegetables and you put the water on.

A: Vale. ¿Le pongo sal ahora?
OK. Do I add salt now?

B: Cuando hierva.
When it boils.

apetecer: : to feel like (Spain: te apetece; Mexico: se te antoja)
cuando hierva: : when it boils (subjunctive: after “cuando” for something still to come)
tardar: : to take (time)
calabacín: : courgette / zucchini (Mexico: calabacita)

Work and study

El trabajo y los estudios

Say what you do, then ask them the same.

A: ¿A qué te dedicas?
What do you do for a living?

B: Soy enfermera. Trabajo en un hospital, por turnos.
I’m a nurse. I work in a hospital, on shifts.

A: ¿Y te gusta?
And do you like it?

B: Sí, aunque las noches son duras. ¿Y tú?
Yes, although the nights are hard. And you?

A: Pues estudio ingeniería y trabajo media jornada en una tienda.
I’m studying engineering. I also work part-time in a store.

B: ¿Cuántas horas a la semana?
How many hours a week?

A: Unas quince. Da para el alquiler.
About fifteen. It covers the rent.

dedicarse a: : to do for a living (literally: to devote yourself to)
media jornada: : part-time (jornada completa = full-time)
por turnos: : on shifts
da para…: : it’s enough for… (spoken)
el alquiler: : rent (Mexico: la renta)

Getting around

Cómo llegar

Five lines. The answer you’ll get most often is “no soy de aquí”.

A: Perdona, ¿la estación de tren?
Excuse me, the train station?

B: Uf, no soy de aquí… pero creo que es todo recto y luego a la izquierda en el semáforo.
Oof, I’m not from here… but I think it’s straight on and then left at the traffic light.

A: ¿Y está lejos de aquí?
And is it far from here?

B: Diez minutos andando, más o menos.
About ten minutes on foot.

A: Vale, gracias.
OK, thanks.

no soy de aquí: : I’m not from here
todo recto: : straight on
a la izquierda / a la derecha: : left / right
andando: : on foot (Latin America: caminando)
perdona: : excuse me (informal; formal: perdone)

How you are feeling

Cómo te encuentras

Tell a friend you’re not feeling well, and reassure them in a sentence or two.

A: Tienes mala cara. ¿Estás bien?
You look rough. Are you OK?

B: No mucho. Me duele la cabeza y estoy muy cansado.
Not really. My head hurts and I’m very tired.

A: ¿Has dormido bien?
Have you slept well?

B: Poco. Me acosté tarde porque tenía trabajo.
Not much. I went to bed late because I had work.

A: ¿Has tomado algo?
Have you taken anything?

B: Todavía no. Voy a beber agua y descansar un rato.
Not yet. I’m going to drink some water and rest for a while.

A: Si mañana sigues igual, ve al médico.
If you’re still the same tomorrow, go to the doctor.

B: Sí, si no mejoro, pido cita.
Yes, if I don’t get better I’ll make an appointment.

me duele la cabeza / me duelen los pies: : doler agrees with the thing that hurts, like gustar
tener mala cara: : to look rough
pedir cita: : to make an appointment
un rato: : a while
seguir igual: : to be still the same

A trip you are planning

Un viaje

Where you are going, who with, and what isn’t booked yet.

A: ¿Adónde vas de vacaciones este año?
Where are you going on vacation this year?

B: A Zamora, a ver a la familia de mi novia. Cinco días en octubre.
To Zamora, to see my girlfriend’s family. Five days in October.

A: ¿Y qué vais a hacer allí?
And what are you going to do there?

B: Nada especial. Comer mucho y dormir.
Nothing special. Eat a lot and sleep.

A: Pues suena bien. ¿Ya tenéis el tren?
Well, that sounds good. Have you got the train already?

B: El tren sí, pero todavía no sé cómo volvemos.
The train, yes, but I don’t know yet how we’re getting back.

A: Miradlo pronto, que en octubre sube.
Look at it soon, because in October it goes up.

ya… / todavía no…: : already… / not yet…
vais, tenéis, miradlo: : Spain-only plural forms; Latin America: van, tienen, mírenlo
nada especial: : nothing special
que: : here: because (spoken)

Family and where you are from

De dónde eres

Say where you are from. Ask about their family.

A: ¿De dónde eres?
Where are you from?

B: Soy de Medellín, pero vivo aquí desde hace tres años.
I’m from Medellín, but I’ve lived here for three years.

A: ¿Y tu familia sigue allí?
And is your family still there?

B: Mis padres sí. Mi hermano mayor vive en Madrid.
My parents are. My older brother lives in Madrid.

A: ¿Los ves a menudo?
Do you see them often?

B: A mis padres, una vez al año. Hablamos por videollamada los domingos.
My parents, once a year. We talk by video call on Sundays.

A: ¿Echas de menos tu ciudad?
Do you miss your city?

B: Sobre todo la comida. Y el clima, la verdad.
The food, mostly. And the weather, honestly.

desde hace tres años: : for three years (up to now)
echar de menos: : to miss (Spain; Latin America: extrañar)
a menudo: : often
la verdad: : honestly (tacked on the end)

Weather and small talk

El tiempo

Small talk. It’s the weakest topic here, and the guide says why it stays.

A: ¡Qué calor hace hoy!
It’s so hot today!

B: Sí, dicen que mañana llega a treinta y cinco.
Yes, they say tomorrow it reaches thirty-five.

A: ¿Y va a llover esta semana?
And is it going to rain this week?

B: El jueves, creo. Ojalá, que el jardín está seco.
Thursday, I think. Hopefully, because the garden is dry.

A: Pues prefiero eso a este calor.
Well, I’d rather have that than this heat.

hace calor / frío: : it’s hot / cold (weather uses hacer)
ojalá: : hopefully
pues: : well… (a filler to start a reply)

Returning something to a store

Devolver una compra

Formal “usted”. Longer than the others because a return takes that long.

A: Hola, quería devolver esta lámpara.
Hello, I’d like to return this lamp.

B: ¿Tiene el ticket?
Do you have the receipt?

A: Sí, aquí está. La compré el martes.
Yes, here it is. I bought it on Tuesday.

B: ¿Cuál es el problema?
What’s the problem?

A: No funciona bien; la luz parpadea.
It doesn’t work properly; the light flickers.

B: ¿La ha probado con otra bombilla?
Have you tried it with another bulb?

A: Sí, con dos. Hace lo mismo.
Yes, with two. It does the same.

B: Vale. ¿Se la cambiamos o le devolvemos el dinero?
OK. Do we exchange it for you or refund you the money?

A: Prefiero que me devuelvan el dinero, por favor.
I’d prefer a refund, please.

B: Muy bien. ¿Pagó con tarjeta?
Very well. Did you pay by card?

A: Sí, con esta.
Yes, with this one.

se la cambiamos / le devolvemos el dinero: : la = the lamp, le = you. This is the line to get right.
quería…: : I’d like… (polite imperfect)
prefiero que + subjunctive: : I’d prefer that… (me devuelvan)
pagó, tiene, ha probado: : the usted forms; with tú they would be pagaste, tienes, has probado
el ticket: : receipt in Spain (the RAE writes tique; nobody else does)
parpadear: : to flicker

Nothing here is sent anywhere.

Start with the returns conversation

For a week in Spain, start with the return. It’s the only conversation where getting it wrong costs money. Two lines get you most of the way: “quería devolver esto,” I’d like to return this, and “prefiero que me devuelvan el dinero,” I’d prefer a refund.

The line to catch is the clerk’s, offering an exchange or a refund: “¿Se la cambiamos o le devolvemos el dinero?” Here “la” is the lamp and “le” is you.

The conversations are different lengths on purpose. Directions is five lines, because that’s all a stranger will give you. The return is eleven, because returns take that long.

Weather is the weakest topic, but we kept it: it’s the first minute of every conversation you’ll have.

Practice your reply out loud

Read the whole exchange once with the English on. Then choose a speaker and turn the English off.

Say each hidden line out loud before you reveal it. Saying it in your head doesn’t count. You’ll cheat on the third line, and that’s fine.

On the second pass, change a detail like the day or the dish, so you build the sentence instead of remembering it.

The first two word notes under each topic are the ones to learn. The rest are there so you don’t get stuck.

When to use usted, and which words change by region

Eight topics use the informal “tú.” The return uses “usted,” the polite form for a clerk you don’t know, so the verbs change too: tiene, pagó.

The word notes use Spain’s Spanish. Most regional swaps don’t matter: anyone understands “andando” or “caminando,” “calabacín” or “calabacita.”

Two do matter. “Coger” means to take or catch in Spain but is vulgar in Mexico and Argentina, so say “tomar” there. And in Mexico, “mande” is how you ask someone to repeat themselves.

Learn one country’s words and stick to them.

Listen for the rhythm before you reply

The audio uses your browser’s built-in Spanish voice. It’s synthetic, and usually has a Spain accent. Use it for rhythm and to hear where a question rises. For feedback on how you sound, you still need a person.

By Ian T. ButlerLast updated October 3, 2026