Are you planning your next holiday to Spain? Fantastic! You’ve probably already booked your flight or train, reserved your hotel, and maybe even started thinking about what to pack… and now it’s time to learn a bit of Spanish! But where to start?
Don’t worry if learning Spanish is the one thing you’ve left until the last minute. It’s never too late to start studying — even just a little Spanish can help you communicate with locals during your trip.
At Hablamos, we’ve got some simple tips to help you get started!
Be realistic
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a complete beginner or if you’ve been studying Spanish for years in your home country — when you speak to native speakers during your trip, they won’t know your level, or what grammar or vocabulary you’ve studied. They’ll speak faster or slower depending on the situation, but they’ll still use everyday words, slang, and sentence structures you might not know. Spain is no different from other countries in that way — and it’s totally normal!
That’s why it’s important to be realistic about the kind of Spanish you’ll need for your trip — and the time you have (or don’t have) to learn it.
If you’re just starting out, focus first on learning how to say hello and goodbye, how to thank someone, and how to introduce yourself. It’s also helpful to be able to give some basic information about your trip, like: “We’re from Norway and we’ll be in Spain for one week.”
It’s also a good idea to learn a few key questions and answers — for example, asking where your hotel is, how much something costs, or when something opens. And when it comes to food, be prepared with the essential words you’ll find on menus or signs, the names of typical dishes and ingredients — especially if you have any allergies.
Here in Spain, we love it when visitors try to speak our language — and don’t worry if your pronunciation isn’t perfect or if you mix up your churros’ gender!
Practice speaking
Grammar, vocabulary, spelling… all of these are important when you’re learning a language. But when you’re travelling, the most useful skill is speaking — and understanding what others are saying.
So, get used to speaking out loud the words and phrases you’re learning. It doesn’t matter if you practise in front of the mirror, with your travel companions, or even your dog (they won’t mind if they don’t understand). The key is to make yourself understood — nobody’s going to judge your pronunciation, your accent, or whether your grammar is perfect.
What will you need?
Not everyone travels the same way. So especially if you’re a beginner, focus on the vocabulary and situations that are most relevant for your trip.
If you’re vegetarian, it’ll be helpful to learn the different words for meat and how to ask a waiter: “Do you have a vegetarian menu?”
If you’re travelling with young children, it might be more useful to learn how to ask about child discounts at museums.
Also, remember: you don’t always need to use a full sentence. Instead of saying,
“Excuse me, would you mind telling me where the bathroom is?”
you can simply ask:
“¿El baño?”
— and you’ll get your answer just as fast.
What if I already know a little Spanish?
That’s great! If you’ve studied some Spanish already, your trip is a perfect opportunity to practise and learn even more.
And don’t worry if you haven’t mastered all the tenses — like the four different past forms in Spanish. Just use the one that feels easiest. You’re on holiday, not taking a test!
Don’t be afraid to ask
If you want to improve your Spanish, don’t be shy about asking questions. You can walk into a shop and ask:
“What’s this called?” or “Is this how you say ‘camiseta’?”
You’ll be surprised how happy people are to help and share their language with you.
Intensive Summer Spanish Course in Madrid
And if you’d like a little more support, you can always count on Hablamos and our “Summer Immersion course in Spanish” course.
It’s designed especially for people who want to explore Madrid while learning the Spanish they’ll actually use — and using it from day one in real-life situations.
We offer a 15-day programme combining practical Spanish lessons with visits to museums, famous landmarks, flamenco shows, tapas tours, and even day trips to nearby cities.
Accommodation and entrance fees are included — and your teacher will be with you the whole time!
If you want to be a different kind of tourist, get in touch with us for more information about the course and the conditions.
We’re waiting for you in Madrid.
We’re waiting for you at Hablamos!
