South-American-Spanish phrases – Here you will find the most common phrases in South-American-Spanish with translation. | Free & useful
South-American-Spanish phrases are short expressions or idioms often used in speech to be polite, express gratitude, greet or say goodbye or simply to have a pleasant conversation.
They are an important part of South-American-Spanish culture and can be useful in different situations, both in private and business life.
South-American-Spanish phrases you should know
OUR TIP: If you want to learn these phrases interactively, we recommend the free language course demo from 17-Minute-Language, where you can learn South-American-Spanish phrases and dialogues today.
*
Greet someone in South-American-Spanish
If you want to greet someone in South-American-Spanish, it’s actually quite easy:
| English | Spanish (South America) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome to the site. | Bienvenido al sitio. | [bjem.beˈni.ðo al ˈsi.tjo] |
| Welcome to the site | Bienvenido al sitio | [bjem.beˈni.ðo al ˈsi.tjo] |
| Good day to you! | ¡Buen día para ti! | [bwen ˈdi.a ˈpa.ɾa ti] |
| Good morning to you! | ¡Buenos días para ti! | [ˈbwe.nos ˈdi.as ˈpa.ɾa ti] |
| Good evening! | ¡Buenas noches! | [ˈbwe.nas ˈno.tʃes] |
| Good to see you. | Qué bueno verte. | [ke ˈbwe.no ˈβeɾ.te] |
| I’m glad to see you. | Me alegra verte. | [me aˈle.ɣɾa ˈβeɾ.te] |
If you are greeted in South-American-Spanish, the best way to respond is as follows:
| English | Spanish (South America) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Have a nice day too! | ¡Que tengas un buen día tú también! | [ke ˈteŋ.ɡas un bwen ˈdi.a tu tamˈbjen] |
| Thanks, it’s nice to see you too. | Gracias, también es un gusto verte. | [ˈɡɾa.sjas tamˈbjen es un ˈɡus.to ˈβeɾ.te] |
How is my dialogue partner?
As in any other country, it is polite to start by asking where the person you are talking to is located. Here’s how you do it:
| English | Spanish (South America) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| How are you doing? | ¿Cómo estás? | [ˈko.mo esˈtas] |
| Are you doing well? | ¿Estás bien? | [esˈtas ˈbjen] |
If you are asked how you feel, you can answer with the following phrases:
| English | Spanish (South America) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Thank you for asking, I am fine. | Gracias por preguntar, estoy bien. | [ˈɡɾa.sjas poɾ pɾe.ɣunˈtaɾ esˈtoj ˈbjen] |
| Thank you, I am fine. | Gracias, estoy bien. | [ˈɡɾa.sjas esˈtoj ˈbjen] |
| Thank you, I am not doing so well. | Gracias, no estoy muy bien. | [ˈɡɾa.sjas no esˈtoj muj ˈbjen] |
| Thanks, I’m fine. How are you doing? | Gracias, estoy bien. ¿Cómo estás? | [ˈɡɾa.sjas esˈtoj ˈbjen ˈko.mo esˈtas] |
Free book: ‘How to learn any language in just 7 weeks’
Learn all the tricks that will help you learn any language quickly and efficiently – much faster than you could ever have dreamed possible.
*
More information about the South-American-Spanish Language Course.
How do I say goodbye to someone in South-American-Spanish?
Saying goodbye to a friend or stranger in South-American-Spanish is not that difficult. Just use the following phrases:
| English | Spanish (South America) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Goodbye! | ¡Adiós! | [aˈðjos] |
| Take care of yourself! | ¡Cuídate! | [ˈkwi.ða.te] |
| Goodbye | Adiós | [aˈðjos] |
| See you tomorrow | Hasta mañana | [ˈas.ta maˈɲa.na] |
| See you soon | Hasta pronto | [ˈas.ta ˈpɾon.to] |
| See you later | Hasta luego | [ˈas.ta ˈlwe.ɣo] |
| Good night | Buenas noches | [ˈbwe.nas ˈno.tʃes] |
| Sleep well | Que duermas bien | [ke ˈdweɾ.mas ˈbjen] |
| Talk to you later. | Hablamos luego. | [aˈβla.mos ˈlwe.ɣo] |
| Nice to have met you! | ¡Mucho gusto en conocerte! | [ˈmu.tʃo ˈɣus.to en ko.noˈseɾ.te] |
How do I introduce myself in South-American-Spanish?
When travelling in South-Amerika, sooner or later you will come into contact with local people. Naturally, you’ll want to introduce yourself in South-American-Spanish and know who you’re talking to.
| English | Spanish (South America) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| My name is Jonas. | Me llamo Jonas. | [me ˈʝa.mo xoˈnas] |
| What is your name? | ¿Cómo te llamas? | [ˈko.mo te ˈʝa.mas] |
| What is your surname? | ¿Cuál es tu apellido? | [kwal es tu a.peˈʝi.ðo] |
| What is your first name? | ¿Cuál es tu nombre? | [kwal es tu ˈnom.bɾe] |
| What is your surname? | ¿Cuál es tu apellido? | [kwal es tu a.peˈʝi.ðo] |
If you want to tell people where you come from, the following sentences are useful:
| English | Spanish (South America) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Where do you come from? | ¿De dónde vienes? | [de ˈðon.de ˈbje.nes] |
| I am from London. | Soy de Londres. | [soj de ˈlon.dɾes] |
| Are you from Birmingham? | ¿Eres de Birmingham? | [ˈe.ɾes de ˈbɪɾ.mɪŋ.əm] |
| No, I’m from Madrid. | No, soy de Madrid. | [no soj de maˈðɾið] |
| Great, I’m from Madrid too. | ¡Genial, yo también soy de Madrid! | [xeˈnjal ʝo tamˈbjen soj de maˈðɾið] |
| Where do you live? | ¿Dónde vives? | [ˈðon.de ˈbi.βes] |
| I live in Berlin. | Vivo en Berlín. | [ˈbi.βo en beɾˈlin] |
If you have problems with your South-American-Spanish, it is good to know which languages are still spoken:
| English | Spanish (South America) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | ¿Hablas inglés? | [ˈa.βlas iŋˈɡles] |
| Yes, I speak English. | Sí, hablo inglés. | [si ˈa.βlo iŋˈɡles] |
| Yes, I speak some English. | Sí, hablo un poco de inglés. | [si ˈa.βlo un ˈpo.ko de iŋˈɡles] |
| No, I do not speak any English. | No, no hablo nada de inglés. | [no no ˈa.βlo ˈna.ða de iŋˈɡles] |
| I only speak English. | Sólo hablo inglés. | [ˈso.lo ˈa.βlo iŋˈɡles] |
| I understand some South American Spanish. | Entiendo un poco de español sudamericano. | [enˈtjeŋ.do un ˈpo.ko de espaˈɲol sudameɾiˈka.no] |
Useful sentences with ‘I am…’
The following sentences will help you orientate yourself in South-American-Spanish and express your wishes and concerns:
| English | Spanish (South America) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| I am English. | Soy inglés. | [soj iŋˈɡles] |
| I am injured. | Estoy herido. | [esˈtoj eˈɾi.ðo] |
| I am here. | Estoy aquí. | [esˈtoj aˈki] |
| I am hungry. | Tengo hambre. | [ˈteŋ.ɡo ˈam.bɾe] |
| I am thirsty. | Tengo sed. | [ˈteŋ.ɡo sed] |
| I am a single person. | Soy soltero / soltera. | [soj solˈteɾo] / [soj solˈteɾa] |
| I need help! | ¡Necesito ayuda! | [ne.seˈsi.to aˈʝu.ða] |
| I am tired. | Estoy cansado / cansada. | [esˈtoj kanˈsaðo] / [esˈtoj kanˈsaða] |
| I am happy. | Estoy feliz. | [esˈtoj feˈlis] |
| I am sad. | Estoy triste. | [esˈtoj ˈtris.te] |
| I am in love. | Estoy enamorado / enamorada. | [esˈtoj ena.moˈɾa.ðo] / [esˈtoj ena.moˈɾa.ða] |
| I am ill. | Estoy enfermo / enferma. | [esˈtoj enˈfeɾ.mo] / [esˈtoj enˈfeɾ.ma] |
| I am ready. | Estoy listo / lista. | [esˈtoj ˈlis.to] / [esˈtoj ˈlis.ta] |
| I am busy. | Estoy ocupado / ocupada. | [esˈtoj okuˈpaðo] / [esˈtoj okuˈpaða] |
| I am lost. | Estoy perdido / perdida. | [esˈtoj peɾˈði.ðo] / [esˈtoj peɾˈði.ða] |
| I am a tourist. | Soy turista. | [soj tuˈɾis.ta] |
| I am new here. | Soy nuevo / nueva aquí. | [soj ˈnwe.βo] / [soj ˈnwe.βa] aˈki |
| I am confident. | Estoy confiado / confiada. | [esˈtoj konˈfja.ðo] / [esˈtoj konˈfja.ða] |
| I am proud. | Estoy orgulloso / orgullosa. | [esˈtoj oɾˈɣu.ʝo.so] / [esˈtoj oɾˈɣu.ʝo.sa] |
| I am a teacher. | Soy profesor / profesora. | [soj pɾo.feˈsoɾ] / [soj pɾo.feˈsoɾa] |
| I am late. | Llego tarde. | [ˈʝe.ɣo ˈtaɾ.de] |
| I am 30 years old. | Tengo 30 años. | [ˈteŋ.ɡo ˈtɾen.ta ˈa.ɲos] |
| I am in a hurry. | Tengo prisa. | [ˈteŋ.ɡo ˈpɾi.sa] |
| I am happy. | Estoy feliz. | [esˈtoj feˈlis] |
| I am surprised. | Estoy sorprendido / sorprendida. | [esˈtoj sopɾenˈdiðo] / [esˈtoj sopɾenˈdiða] |
| I am angry. | Estoy enojado / enojada. | [esˈtoj enoˈxaðo] / [esˈtoj enoˈxaða] |
Apologising in South-American-Spanish
Here’s how to apologise to a South-American-Spanish speaker:
| English | Spanish (South America) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| I apologise. | Disculpo. | [disˈkul.po] |
| Sorry, that was not the intention. | Lo siento, no fue la intención. | [lo ˈsjento no fue la intenˈsjon] |
| Sorry, I did not do it on purpose. | Perdón, no lo hice a propósito. | [peɾˈdon no lo ˈi.se a pɾoˈpo.si.to] |
| Sorry, that was very clumsy of me. | Perdón, eso fue muy torpe de mi parte. | [peɾˈdon ˈe.so fue muj ˈtoɾ.pe de mi ˈpaɾ.te] |
Learn South-American-Spanish much faster than conventional learning methods – and with only 17 minutes of learning time a day!
Test the South-American-Spanish online language course for two days completely free of charge:
*
More information about the South-American-Spanish Intermediate Course.
Useful signs and notices in South-American-Spanish
Useful signs and messages in South-American-Spanish that you will often see.
| English | Spanish (South America) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance | Entrada | [enˈtɾa.ða] |
| Toilet | Baño | [ˈba.ɲo] |
| Exit | Salida | [saˈli.ða] |
| Attention! | ¡Atención! | [a.tenˈsjon] |
| Police | Policía | [po.liˈsi.a] |
| Emergency services | Servicios de emergencia | [seɾˈβi.sjos de emeɾˈxen.sja] |
| Fire brigade | Bomberos | [bomˈbeɾos] |
| Passage forbidden. | Prohibido el paso. | [pɾo.iˈβi.ðo el ˈpa.so] |
| Caution! | ¡Precaución! | [pɾe.kawˈsjon] |
| This building is under video surveillance. | Este edificio está bajo vigilancia por video. | [ˈes.te eðiˈfi.sjo esˈta ˈβaxo βiˈɣil.anθja poɾ ˈβi.de.o] |
Numbers to 25 in South-American-Spanish
Counting in South-American-Spanish is not that difficult. Here are the numbers in South-American-Spanish from 1 to 25.
| English | Spanish (South America) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | uno | [ˈu.no] |
| 2 | dos | [dos] |
| 3 | tres | [tɾes] |
| 4 | cuatro | [ˈkwa.tɾo] |
| 5 | cinco | [ˈθiŋ.ko] |
| 6 | seis | [seis] |
| 7 | siete | [ˈsje.te] |
| 8 | ocho | [ˈo.tʃo] |
| 9 | nueve | [ˈnwe.βe] |
| 10 | diez | [djes] |
| 11 | once | [ˈon.se] |
| 12 | doce | [ˈdo.se] |
| 13 | trece | [ˈtɾe.se] |
| 14 | catorce | [kaˈtoɾ.se] |
| 15 | quince | [ˈkin.se] |
| 16 | dieciséis | [dje.siˈseis] |
| 17 | diecisiete | [dje.siˈsje.te] |
| 18 | dieciocho | [dje.siˈotʃo] |
| 19 | diecinueve | [dje.siˈnwe.βe] |
| 20 | veinte | [ˈbwen.te] |
| 21 | veintiuno | [ˌbwen.tiˈu.no] |
| 22 | veintidós | [ˌbwen.tiˈdos] |
| 23 | veintitrés | [ˌbwen.tiˈtɾes] |
| 24 | veinticuatro | [ˌbwen.tiˈkwa.tɾo] |
| 25 | veinticinco | [ˌbwen.tiˈθiŋ.ko] |
The colours in South-American-Spanish
The most common colours in South-American-Spanish with phonetic transcription for pronunciation.
| English | Spanish (South America) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Red in South American Spanish | Rojo | [ˈro.xo] |
| Blue in South American Spanish | Azul | [aˈsul] |
| Green in South American Spanish | Verde | [ˈβeɾ.ðe] |
| Yellow in South American Spanish | Amarillo | [a.maˈɾi.ʝo] |
| Black in South American Spanish | Negro | [ˈne.ɣɾo] |
| White in South American Spanish | Blanco | [ˈblan.ko] |
| Orange in South American Spanish | Naranja | [naˈɾan.xa] |
| Purple in South American Spanish | Morado | [moˈɾa.ðo] |
| Pink in South American Spanish | Rosa | [ˈro.sa] |
| Brown in South American Spanish | Marrón | [maˈron] |
Days of the week, months and seasons in South-American-Spanish
Of course, you will also need the days of the week in South-American-Spanish and the pronunciation of the months and seasons in dialogues and daily communication in South-American-Spanish.
| English | Spanish (South America) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Monday in South American Spanish | lunes | [ˈlu.nes] |
| Tuesday in South American Spanish | martes | [ˈmaɾ.tes] |
| Wednesday in South American Spanish | miércoles | [ˈmjɛɾ.ko.les] |
| Thursday in South American Spanish | jueves | [ˈxwe.βes] |
| Friday in South American Spanish | viernes | [ˈbjeɾ.nes] |
| Saturday in South American Spanish | sábado | [ˈsa.βa.do] |
| Sunday in South American Spanish | domingo | [doˈmin.go] |
| January in South American Spanish | enero | [eˈne.ɾo] |
| February in South American Spanish | febrero | [feˈβɾe.ɾo] |
| March in South American Spanish | marzo | [ˈmaɾ.so] |
| April in South American Spanish | abril | [aˈβɾil] |
| May in South American Spanish | mayo | [ˈma.ʝo] |
| June in South American Spanish | junio | [ˈxu.njo] |
| July in South American Spanish | julio | [ˈxu.ljo] |
| August in South American Spanish | agosto | [aˈɣos.to] |
| September in South American Spanish | septiembre | [sepˈtjɛm.bɾe] |
| October in South American Spanish | octubre | [okˈtu.βɾe] |
| November in South American Spanish | noviembre | [noˈβjɛm.bɾe] |
| December in South American Spanish | diciembre | [diˈθjɛm.bɾe] |
| Spring in South American Spanish | primavera | [pɾimaˈβeɾa] |
| Summer in South American Spanish | verano | [beˈɾano] |
| Autumn in South American Spanish | otoño | [oˈtoɲo] |
| Winter in South American Spanish | invierno | [inˈβjeɾno] |
OUR TIP: If you want to learn these South-American-Spanish phrases interactively, we recommend the free language course demo from 17-Minute-Language, where you can learn South-American-Spanish phrases and dialogues.
*
More information about the South-American-Spanish Business Course.
Additional links
- The different ways of learning languages
- Learning vocabulary successfully
- Motivated language learning
- It is so easy to train your understanding of a language at the same time
- Learning languages quickly? – Is it possible?
- The different types of learners when learning languages
More information about the South-American-Spanish Course for Children.