If you’re planning a trip to Central America, learning a few Spanish basics can make your experience much smoother — and a lot more fun! Here’s a practical guide with essential words and phrases you’ll use daily, along with simple pronunciation tips.
This guide focuses on Spanish as spoken in Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, and neighboring countries.
Essential Words and Phrases
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
| Hello | Hola | OH-lah |
| Good morning | Buenos días | BWEH-nos DEE-ahs |
| Good afternoon | Buenas tardes | BWEH-nas TAR-des |
| Good evening / Good night | Buenas noches | BWEH-nas NO-ches |
| Goodbye | Adiós | ah-dee-OHS |
| Please | Por favor | por fah-BOHR |
| Thank you | Gracias | GRAH-syahs |
| You’re welcome | De nada | deh NAH-dah |
| Yes | Sí | see |
| No | No | no |
| Excuse me | Perdón / Disculpe | pehr-DOHN / dees-KOOL-peh |
| I’m sorry | Lo siento | loh SYEN-toh |
| How much? | ¿Cuánto cuesta? | KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah |
| Where is…? | ¿Dónde está…? | DOHN-deh es-TAH |
| I would like… | Quisiera… | kee-SYEH-rah |
| I don’t understand | No entiendo | no ehn-TYEHN-doh |
| Can you help me? | ¿Puede ayudarme? | PWEH-deh ah-yoo-DAR-meh |
| Bathroom | Baño | BAH-nyo |
| Water | Agua | AH-gwah |
| Food | Comida | koh-MEE-dah |
| I’m lost | Estoy perdido/a | es-TOY pehr-DEE-doh / pehr-DEE-dah |
Useful Travel Phrases
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
| I’m looking for a hotel | Busco un hotel | BOOS-koh oon oh-TEL |
| Can I pay with a card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? | PWEH-doh pah-GAHR kon tar-HEH-tah |
| I need a doctor | Necesito un doctor | neh-seh-SEE-toh oon dok-TOR |
| I’m allergic to… | Soy alérgico/a a… | soy ah-LEHR-hee-koh/kah ah… |
| Call the police | Llame a la policía | YAH-meh ah lah poh-lee-SEE-ah |
| What time is it? | ¿Qué hora es? | keh OH-rah es |
| I don’t speak Spanish | No hablo español | no AH-bloh es-pah-NYOL |
| Do you speak English? | ¿Habla inglés? | AH-blah een-GLES |
Numbers and Time Basics
(Practical for transportation, shopping, and appointments!)
When traveling, being able to understand numbers and time is key — whether you’re asking for prices at a market or figuring out when your bus leaves.
Numbers 1–20
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
| One | Uno | OO-noh |
| Two | Dos | dos |
| Three | Tres | tres |
| Four | Cuatro | KWAH-troh |
| Five | Cinco | SEEN-koh |
| Six | Seis | says |
| Seven | Siete | SYEH-teh |
| Eight | Ocho | OH-choh |
| Nine | Nueve | NWAY-beh |
| Ten | Diez | dyes |
| Eleven | Once | ON-seh |
| Twelve | Doce | DOH-seh |
| Thirteen | Trece | TREH-seh |
| Fourteen | Catorce | kah-TOR-seh |
| Fifteen | Quince | KEEN-seh |
| Sixteen | Dieciséis | dyeh-see-SAYS |
| Seventeen | Diecisiete | dyeh-see-SYEH-teh |
| Eighteen | Dieciocho | dyeh-see-OH-choh |
| Nineteen | Diecinueve | dyeh-see-NWAY-beh |
| Twenty | Veinte | BAYN-teh |
Larger Numbers
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
| Thirty | Treinta | TREYN-tah |
| Forty | Cuarenta | kwah-REN-tah |
| Fifty | Cincuenta | seen-KWEHN-tah |
| Sixty | Sesenta | seh-SEN-tah |
| Seventy | Setenta | seh-TEN-tah |
| Eighty | Ochenta | oh-CHEN-tah |
| Ninety | Noventa | noh-VEN-tah |
| One hundred | Cien | syen |
| Two hundred | Doscientos/as | dos-SYEN-tohs/as |
| Three hundred | Trescientos/as | tres-SYEN-tohs/as |
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Colors
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
| Red | Rojo | ROH-hoh |
| Blue | Azul | ah-SOOL |
| Green | Verde | BEHR-deh |
| Yellow | Amarillo | ah-mah-REE-yoh |
| Black | Negro | NEH-groh |
| White | Blanco | BLAN-koh |
| Orange | Naranja | nah-RAHN-hah |
| Purple | Morado | moh-RAH-doh |
| Brown | Marrón | mah-ROHN |
| Pink | Rosado | roh-SAH-doh |
| Gray | Gris | grees |
Common Animals in Central America
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
| Dog | Perro | PEH-rroh |
| Cat | Gato | GAH-toh |
| Monkey | Mono | MOH-noh |
| Bird | Pájaro | PAH-hah-roh |
| Dolphin | Delfín | del-FEEN |
| Turtle | Tortuga | tor-TOO-gah |
| Snake | Serpiente | ser-PYEN-teh |
| Crocodile | Cocodrilo | koh-koh-DREE-loh |
Fruits and Vegetables
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
| Banana | Plátano | PLAH-tah-noh |
| Pineapple | Piña | PEE-nyah |
| Mango | Mango | MAHN-goh |
| Avocado | Aguacate | ah-gwah-KAH-teh |
| Watermelon | Sandía | sahn-DEE-ah |
| Papaya | Papaya | pah-PAH-yah |
| Tomato | Tomate | toh-MAH-teh |
| Onion | Cebolla | seh-BOH-yah |
| Potato | Papa | PAH-pah |
| Corn | Maíz | mah-EES |
Common Activities
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
| To walk | Caminar | kah-mee-NAR |
| To swim | Nadar | nah-DAR |
| To eat | Comer | koh-MEHR |
| To drink | Beber | beh-BEHR |
| To buy | Comprar | kom-PRAR |
| To travel | Viajar | VYAH-har |
| To dance | Bailar | bye-LAR |
Common Places
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
| Hotel | Hotel | oh-TEL |
| Restaurant | Restaurante | rehs-tow-RAHN-teh |
| Market | Mercado | mehr-KAH-doh |
| Beach | Playa | PLAH-yah |
| Airport | Aeropuerto | ah-eh-roo-PWEHR-toh |
| Hospital | Hospital | os-pee-TAL |
| Bus station | Estación de autobuses | es-tah-SYON deh ow-toh-BOO-ses |
| Park | Parque | PAR-keh |
Expressions Locals Use
(Fun extras to blend in even more!)
Here are some common local expressions you might hear in Central America:
| Expression | Meaning | Pronunciation | Country |
| ¿Qué onda? | What’s up? | keh ON-dah | Mexico |
| ¡Qué chilero! | How cool! | keh chee-LEH-roh | Guatemala |
| ¡Pura vida! | All good / Great! | POO-rah VEE-dah | Costa Rica (but known across Central America) |
| ¿Todo bien? | Everything good? | TOH-doh byen | Nicaragua / Guatemala |
| ¡Está tuanis! | It’s awesome! | es-TAH TWAH-nees | Nicaragua |
| ¿Me regala…? | Can you give me…? (polite) | meh reh-GAH-lah | Guatemala / Nicaragua |
Quick Pronunciation Tips
Vowels are consistent:
- A = “ah” (as in “father”)
- E = “eh” (as in “bed”)
- I = “ee” (as in “see”)
- O = “oh” (as in “go”)
- U = “oo” (as in “boot”)
Letters to watch:
- “LL” is often pronounced like a “Y” — for example, lluvia (rain) sounds like “YOO-vee-ah.”
- “J” sounds like an English “H” — jugar (to play) sounds like “hoo-GAR.”
- “Ñ” sounds like “ny” — niño (child) sounds like “NEEN-yo.”
- The letter H is silent: Hola (hello) is pronounced “OH-lah,” not “HO-lah.”
Final Tip
Even if your Spanish isn’t perfect, locals will really appreciate any effort you make to speak their language. A smile and a “gracias” can go a long way!
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