Starting a new conversation in Spanish is hard. Even in English.
Your heart starts pumping faster, palms begin to sweat, and knees become weaker. Approaching a stranger can be so difficult for some of us that many people compare it to the feeling you get from cliff diving!
And this is made worse when you can't even speak their native language!
But no need to worry, we've got you covered today.
Knowing what question in Spanish to ask is crucial to getting a friendly response from a native speaker. In fact, the more questions in Spanish you have under your toolbelt, the better.
The reason being, every situation you face is going to be different, and it's important to be prepared.
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Most Common Questions in Spanish
Here are 25 most common questions in Spanish to start a new conversation. Let's start with the basics...
Basic conversation starters
To start, here are some simple questions in Spanish to get the conversation rolling. These are typical questions you would ask in English like their name, where they're from, asking for help, and more.
1. ¿Cómo te llamas? - What's your name?
Example #1: Me llamo David. ¿Y tú, cómo te llamas? My name is David. And you, what is your name?
Example #2: ¡ Hola! Mucho gusto. ¿Cómo te llamas? Hi ! Nice to meet you. What is your name?
2. ¿Puedes ayudarme, por favor? - Could you help me, please?
3. ¿De dónde eres? - Where are you from?
Example #1: ¿De dónde es? (formal singular) - I don't recognize your accent. Where are you from? - No reconozco su acento. ¿De dónde es usted?Example #2: I'm from Venezuela. Where are you from?Yo soy de Venezuela. ¿De dónde eres tú?
4. ¿Hablas inglés? - Do you speak English?
Example: Do you speak English at home? - ¿Hablas inglés en la casa?
5. ¿Dónde está el baño? - Where is the washroom?
Example: ¿Estás bien? Te ves pálido. ¿Dónde está el baño? - Are you alright? You look pale. Where's the toilet?
Getting to know someone better
Now that we've started the conversation, we need to get to know the person we're speaking to. These could be questions you ask when you're with friends, on a date, or with co-workers.
6. ¿Dónde vives? - Where do you live?
Example: Te llevaré a casa. ¿Dónde vives? - I will drive you home. Where do you live?
7. ¿Cuántos años tienes? - How old are you?
Example: Tengo trenta años.
8. ¿Te gusta _______? - Do you like _______?
Example: ¿Te gusta este cancion? - Do you like this song?
9 ¿Cuál es tu _______? - Which/What is your ______?
Example:¿Cuál es tu película favorita? - Which/What is your favorite movie?
10. Cuál es su número de teléfono? - What's your telephone number?
11. ¿Que haces ________? - What are you doing ______?
Example: ¿Que haces esta noche? - What are you doing tonight?
12. Por qué no? - Why not?
13. ¿Y usted? - And you?
Navigating around in a new place
When you're visiting a new city or country, there are important questions you should ask to get around safely. Here are some of those questions you can ask.
14. ¿Qué hora es? - What time is it?
Example #1: ¿Qué hora es? - Es la una de la tarde. - What time is it? -It's one in the afternoon.
Example #2: Disculpe, ¿sabe usted qué hora es? - Excuse me, do you know what time it is?
15. ¿Hay un(a) ______ cerca? - Is there a ______ close by?
Example: ¿Hay un banco cerca? - Is there a bank nearby?
16. ¿Como llego a el/la ______? - How do I get to ______?
Example #1: ¿Como llego a el aeropuerto? - How do I get to the airport?
Example #2: ¿Como llego a la playa? - How do I get to the beach?
17. ¿Qué significa esta palabra? - What does this word mean?
18. Qué tiempo hace? - What's the weather like?
Example: ¿Qué tiempo hace? Hace sol y bastante calor. - What's the weather like? It's sunny and quite hot.
At the restaurant/shop
Most of us love exploring new restaurants or visiting shopping centers/markets. You'll want to know how to ask the right questions in Spanish when speaking with representatives there.
19. Quiero un/una _______- I would like a ________.
Example #1: Quiero una cerveza - I would like a beer
Example #2: Quiero un café - I would like a coffeeA polite way of saying this is "Me gustaria un/una ________?"
20. ¿Cuánto es? - How much is that?
¿Cuánto es? ¿Quieren pagar juntos o por separado? - How much is it? Do you want to pay together or separately?
21. ¿Tienes un/una______? - Do you have a ________?
Example #1: ¿Tienes chicle? - Do you have gum?
Example #2: Do you have more precise information on this subject? - ¿Dispone usted de información más precisa sobre este tema?
Bonus questions
As a special bonus, we've included some useful questions in Spanish that may not fit into one of our categories, but are nevertheless important.
22. ¿Quién es? - Who's there?
This question is one you'll use often whenever you're answering the door at home or when you're speaking to someone over the phone.
23. ¿Comprende? - Do you understand?
24. ¿Adónde va usted? - Where are you going?
Example: Where are you going? You have to leave in ten minutes! - ¿Para dónde vas? ¡Te tienes que ir en diez minutos!
25. ¡Llamar a la policía! - Call the police/ambulance!
For emergency purpose. Hopefully you'll never have to use this!
Now it's your turn to let us know which of these questions in Spanish were your favorite.
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