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HandoutHandout 1: What You Actually Need
Handout 1: What You Actually Need
You don't need much for this class. that's kind of the point. spanish isn't a supply-heavy hobby, it's a mouth-and-ears hobby. so don't go overboard at costco before week one. here's what actually helps.
Budget tier (get this, skip the rest if money's tight)
- a cheap notebook. small enough to carry, not precious. this is for phrases, not grammar notes. you'll write down stuff you hear at the store, stuff we practice in class, stuff you get wrong and want to remember. don't buy a nice one — you'll be less scared to mess it up in a $2 notebook.
- a pen that works. iykyk.
- your phone. you already have it. we'll use it for a translation app as a backup, not a crutch. more on that below.
- a folder or binder pocket for handouts. i print a lot. keep them together or they end up on your floorboard like mine do.
that's it. that's the budget list. total cost, maybe five bucks if you don't already have a notebook lying around.
Nice-to-have tier (not required, genuinely helpful)
- a physical pocket dictionary. spanish-english, small enough to actually carry. apps are fine but a real dictionary doesn't die at 2%. i still use mine.
- flashcards, blank ones you fill in yourself. don't buy the pre-made 500-word set. you'll make better ones out of the ten phrases you're actually using. write your own, keep them in your pocket, quiz yourself in line at macey's.
- a language app for streaks. duolingo, whatever. it's fine for keeping you honest between classes. it will not teach you to talk to a person. that part's on you and me and the person sitting next to you in class.
- a labeled water bottle or something similar, in spanish. sounds silly. sticking spanish words on stuff you touch all day actually works. i've got "el fregadero" taped under my sink at home. don't ask javier, he thinks it's ridiculous. it works anyway.
Shopping notes, utah county specific
You don't need a special trip for any of this. Target or Macey's has notebooks and pens, Costco has the bulk pack if you want to outfit the whole family. if you want the pocket dictionary or the blank flashcards, a bigger box store or the school supply aisle this time of year will have them — end of summer's actually the best time, everything's marked down for back to school even though we're starting in the dead of winter. don't overthink it.
One real tip: if you're at the grocery store anyway, listen. Utah County has more Spanish in it than people expect if you're paying attention in the checkout line. I've filled half a notebook just standing around waiting to pay. Consider it homework you didn't know you had.
What you don't need
A grammar textbook. Seriously, skip it. If you want one later I'll point you at a good one, but week one isn't the week for it. We're not talking about the language, we're talking in it. Bring your ears and your mouth and be willing to be wrong out loud. That's the actual supply list. Everything else is optional. ✨
HandoutHandout 2: Cheat Sheet — Beginner Spanish Conversation
Handout 2: Cheat Sheet — Beginner Spanish Conversation
quick reference. tape it to your fridge, keep it in the truck, whatever. this is the stuff we actually use in class, so it should look familiar.
The "get me out of trouble" phrases (learn these first, always)
- No entiendo. — I don't understand.
- Más despacio, por favor. — Slower, please.
- ¿Cómo se dice...? — How do you say...?
- ¿Puede repetir? — Can you repeat that?
- No sé. — I don't know.
iykyk — these buy you time to fix everything else. most classes save these for later. we don't.
Greetings / small talk loop
This is the back-and-forth we drill every single class. Say it out loud, both parts, with a partner.
- Buenos días / Buenas tardes / Buenas noches — good morning / afternoon / night
- ¿Cómo está? / ¿Cómo estás? — how are you (formal / casual)
- Estoy bien, gracias. ¿Y usted / y tú? — I'm good, thanks. And you?
- Mucho gusto. — nice to meet you
- Hasta luego. / Nos vemos. — see you later
Numbers (the useful range)
uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez... then diez, veinte, treinta, cuarenta, up to cien.
honestly? I still stall out past a hundred. give me a phone number in Spanish and watch me go quiet mid-sentence. I'm working on it. if you get past a hundred better than me, teach me back.
Store / checkout phrases
This is your Macey's or Costco run, basically.
- ¿Cuánto cuesta? — how much does it cost?
- ¿Dónde está...? — where is...?
- Solo estoy mirando. — just looking
- ¿Tiene...? — do you have...?
- La cuenta, por favor. — the check/bill, please
Jobsite / "need a hand" phrases
Not everyone needs these, but a few of you do, and they're good ones regardless.
- Cuidado. — careful. (Right word, right second — this one's saved a guy from a hot line. Say it like you mean it.)
- Ayúdame, por favor. — help me, please
- Necesito... — I need...
- Espere. — wait
The two rules that matter more than any list
- Say it out loud. Reading it silently doesn't count. Your mouth has to do the work, out loud, even when it feels dumb.
- Good enough talks. Perfect stays home. My accent is rough as gravel and people understand me fine. Don't wait for perfect. Use what you've got.
A note on grammar
You won't find verb charts here. I don't teach it that way — I teach by ear and by repeating things until they stop feeling weird in your mouth. If you want the grammar-book version of why something works, I'll point you toward a real resource, but that's not what this class is for.
Practice homework (no app required)
Next time you're at the store, just listen for a minute in the checkout line. You'll hear more Spanish in Utah County than you'd think. Don't sluff this — it's free practice and it's right there.
That's the sheet. Not long, on purpose. Ten phrases said a hundred times beats two hundred words you can't use. Say it out loud, even the parts that feel stupid. You'll get it. ✨
WorksheetHandout 3: Phrase Checklist — The Stuff You'll Actually Use
Handout 3: Phrase Checklist — The Stuff You'll Actually Use
not a vocab list. a checklist. the difference matters — these are phrases you say out loud until they stop feeling stupid in your mouth, not words you memorize and forget by friday.
check the box once you've said it out loud to a real person (classmate counts, spouse counts, dog does not count, sorry).
the get-out-of-trouble phrases (learn these first, always)
- [ ] no entiendo — i don't understand
- [ ] más despacio, por favor — slower, please
- [ ] ¿cómo se dice ___? — how do you say ___?
- [ ] ¿puede repetir? — can you say that again?
- [ ] lo siento, mi español es nuevo — sorry, my spanish is new
these buy you time. every other phrase on this page depends on you having these first. most classes teach them last. iykyk why that's backwards.
greetings and the basic back-and-forth
- [ ] buenos días / buenas tardes / buenas noches
- [ ] ¿cómo estás? — how are you?
- [ ] estoy bien, ¿y tú? — i'm good, and you?
- [ ] mucho gusto — nice to meet you
- [ ] hasta luego — see you later
string these five together with a partner. that's a whole conversation. don't sluff it just because it looks easy on paper — say it three times before you check the box.
jobsite / practical phrases
(these are mine, from crosspoint. steal them, they work.)
- [ ] cuidado — careful
- [ ] ¿me puede ayudar? — can you help me?
- [ ] ¿dónde está ___? — where is ___?
- [ ] necesito un momento — i need a minute
- [ ] gracias, nos vemos — thanks, see you around
grocery store phrases (your homework field is macey's or costco)
- [ ] ¿cuánto cuesta? — how much does it cost?
- [ ] ¿tiene ___? — do you have ___?
- [ ] esto, por favor — this one, please
- [ ] está bien, gracias — that's fine, thanks
go stand in a checkout line this week and actually listen. you'll hear more spanish in utah county than you think. write down one phrase you catch, even if you don't know what it means yet. bring it next class and we'll figure it out together.
self-check (be honest, no grade attached)
circle one for each:
- i can say these out loud without freezing up: most / some / not yet
- i practiced with another person this week: yes / no / does my kid count
- i wrote down a phrase i overheard somewhere: yes / no
- my accent is rough and i said it anyway: yes / working on it
good enough talks. perfect stays home. ✨
bring this sheet back next week — we'll build on it, not replace it.
HandoutHandout 4: Troubleshooting — What Usually Goes Wrong (and the Fix)
Handout 4: Troubleshooting — What Usually Goes Wrong (and the Fix)
everybody hits the same walls. here's the list, so you know it's not just you.
1. "I know the word but it won't come out."
that's not a vocab problem, that's a mouth problem. you haven't said it enough times out loud yet. reading it and saying it are two different skills. say it twenty more times, even alone in your car.
2. You freeze up and just... don't talk.
this is the actual number one issue in this class, every session. the fix isn't more studying. the fix is opening your mouth before you feel ready. wrong out loud beats right in your head. every time.
3. Sluffing the vowels.
english lets you mumble through vowels. spanish doesn't. "casa" isn't "cah-suh," it's a clean ah. if a word feels off, it's usually a sluffed vowel. slow down and hit each one.
4. Panicking on numbers.
you're not alone — i still stall out over a hundred, i won't pretend otherwise. for beginners: don't try to memorize numbers as a list. practice the ones you'll actually use (prices, time, phone numbers a few digits at a time) and let the rest come later.
5. Trying to translate word-for-word in your head first.
if you're translating english to spanish in your brain before you speak, you'll always be a beat behind. learn phrases as whole chunks, not word puzzles. "¿cómo se dice...?" as one unit, not four words you're assembling live.
6. Getting stuck when they answer back fast.
this is why we teach the escape phrases week one and not week ten. "más despacio, por favor" (slower, please) and "no entiendo" (i don't understand) aren't beginner-level cop-outs. they're tools. use them constantly. nobody thinks less of you.
7. Worrying about your accent.
good enough talks. perfect stays home. javier's corrected my spanish for two years and my accent is still rough as gravel. he understands me fine. you're aiming for understood, not flawless.
8. Only practicing on an app.
apps are fine for streaks. they're not fine for conversation. the owl can't hold a conversation at the deli counter and neither can flashcards. you need a real human across from you, even if that human is your kid repeating verbs back at you in a silly voice.
9. Memorizing lists instead of phrases you'll use.
if you learn 200 random nouns you still can't order food. ten solid phrases, said a hundred times each, beats 200 words said once. quality over quantity, always.
10. Trying to fix your spelling before your speaking.
separate skills. i talk better than i type — accents especially still get me. don't let a missing tilde stop you from saying the sentence out loud. writing can wait. talking can't.
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bottom line: almost every problem on this list gets fixed the same way — say it out loud, more times than feels necessary, in front of an actual person. that's the whole class. that's the work. ✨
podcast_scriptClass podcast — episode 1
Audio coming soon — show notes below.
JESS: —okay wait, say that again, because I don't think the recorder caught it.
KENNEDY: which part.
JESS: the part where you sat in the truck.
KENNEDY: oh. yeah. so this was maybe eight months into me picking up spanish on my own, before I ever taught anybody anything. coworker needed to get to a supply house, kind of a weird back way, and i just gave him directions. in spanish. no english, not even to fall back on.
JESS: and he found it.
KENNEDY: he found it. texted me a photo of the place like "made it." and i just sat in the truck for a second after. didn't tell anybody. just sat there feeling something i don't feel a ton these days, which was proud. right word, right second. that's the whole game.
JESS: for people just joining us — this is the podcast that goes with Beginner Spanish Conversation, Utah Community Learning, and Kennedy is the one teaching it starting next week. Kennedy, tell people why you, because you're not a —
KENNEDY: not a linguist. no. i'm a person who got tired of pointing at conduit and hoping somebody understood me. half the guys on my crews speak spanish, spanish first for most of them. so i started learning the real stuff. jobsite spanish. "careful," "hand me that," "move, the ladder's going." not textbook stuff.
JESS: and now you teach a room full of adults who probably also just need to survive the checkout line.
KENNEDY: pretty much. i don't do vocab lists. you memorize two hundred words off a list and you still can't say hello to an actual person. i'd rather give you ten phrases and make you say each one a hundred times till it stops feeling stupid in your mouth.
JESS: okay give the people a phrase. right now. something they can use tonight, no class required.
KENNEDY: "no entiendo." i don't understand. and "más despacio, por favor" — slower, please. most classes save those for later. i teach them week one, because those two phrases buy you time to fix everything else. somebody's talking fast at you, you say those, and now you're not drowning. you're just slow. slow's fine.
JESS: that's — okay that's genuinely useful, i'm gonna use that at Costco.
KENNEDY: iykyk. you'll hear more spanish at Costco and Macey's than you think if you actually listen in the checkout line. i keep a notebook of stuff i overhear. wrote down an entire argument between two women about which apples were on sale. felt like a creep doing it. learned three good words though.
JESS: worth it.
KENNEDY: worth it.
JESS: so what actually happens in the room. because I know some people are nervous, they haven't spoken a language out loud since high school French or whatever.
KENNEDY: you're talking minute one. i'm not doing twenty minutes on how spanish verbs work, nobody needs that on day one. you'll say "buenos días" to the person next to you before you've even got your coat off. i pair everybody up constantly. you practice on each other, not on me. i circle around, fix things quiet, keep moving. i'm not gonna put you on the spot in front of the whole room. i'll come to your table if something's off.
JESS: and if somebody's just wrong.
KENNEDY: i'll say "that's not it, try again" and then i wait. i don't rescue you too fast. you gotta sit in the wrong for a second, that's kind of the point. being wrong out loud beats being right in your head, every time. the people who won't say anything because they're embarrassed, those are the ones who learn slowest. i'll say that to your face. kindly.
JESS: kindly but firmly.
KENNEDY: that's fair.
JESS: okay, last thing — next session, what are we building toward.
KENNEDY: next time we're doing the grocery store scenario and the "someone's talking to me and i need an exit" scenario. real stuff. how do you ask where something is, how do you politely end a conversation you can't keep up with anymore. we're not doing hypothetical spain-trip spanish. we're doing tonight-at-macey's spanish.
JESS: love that. alright, that's episode one —
KENNEDY: say it out loud before you go, whatever you learned today. don't just think it. say it.
JESS: no entiendo.
KENNEDY: 😩 close. más despacio.
JESS: más despacio, por favor.
KENNEDY: there it is. ✨ see you next week.
podcast_scriptClass podcast — episode 2
Audio coming soon — show notes below.
JESS: —wait, say that again, because I don't think our listeners caught the good part.
KENNEDY: which part.
JESS: the diaper part.
KENNEDY: oh. yeah. so i read somewhere that talking to babies in a second language does something good for their brains. wires stuff up. so now i just narrate my kid's whole life in spanish. diaper changes, bath time, all of it.
JESS: give us a sample.
KENNEDY: "el pañal. muy sucio." very dirty. that's most of what i say to him honestly.
JESS: does he respond.
KENNEDY: he's four months old, jess. he responds by existing. but i figure i'm building something. probably not. doesn't matter. i do it anyway.
JESS: okay, for people just tuning in — this is episode two of beginner spanish conversation, i'm jess, i produce the podcast, kennedy teaches the class —
KENNEDY: badly, some weeks.
JESS: — she teaches it well, she's just going to fight me on that every episode.
KENNEDY: it's true though. some weeks i'm tired and i just point at people and say "you two, talk."
JESS: which, honestly, is kind of the whole class from what i've seen sitting in.
KENNEDY: that's the work. you can't learn to talk by watching somebody else talk. you gotta open your mouth and be bad at it for a while.
JESS: so give me something a person could use tonight. doesn't matter if they're in the class or not.
KENNEDY: okay. here's the one i give week one, before anything else. "no entiendo." i don't understand. and "más despacio, por favor." slower, please.
JESS: that's it?
KENNEDY: that's the whole toolkit right there. most classes teach you hello and goodbye and colors and save the useful stuff for month three. i do it backwards. you learn "i don't understand" and "slower please" on day one because that buys you time. somebody's talking fast at you, you're drowning, those two phrases pull you back up.
JESS: right word, right second.
KENNEDY: exactly. see, you've been sitting in on this too long.
JESS: it's catchy. okay, tell me the checkout line thing. i heard you keep a notebook.
KENNEDY: oh, yeah, i've got a whole notebook of phrases i've written down at costco and macey's. just listening in line. one time i wrote down this whole back-and-forth between two women about which apples were on sale. felt like a total creep standing there with my cart, but i learned three new words i wouldn't have gotten out of an app in a month.
JESS: what were the words.
KENNEDY: i'm not telling you, i want people to go find their own. that's kind of the point. utah county's got more spanish in it than people think, you just gotta be listening for it. you don't need a plane ticket. you need the checkout line.
JESS: for people who aren't in the class, is that a real tip? just — listen more?
KENNEDY: it's a real tip. put your phone away for one grocery trip and just listen. you'll pick stuff up you didn't know you were picking up. apps are fine for keeping a streak going, but the owl can't hold a conversation with you at the deli counter. you gotta practice on real people eventually.
JESS: and if they're embarrassed?
KENNEDY: everybody's embarrassed. that's not a reason to skip it. the people who won't say it out loud because they're scared of getting it wrong, they're the ones who learn slowest. i'll say that kindly, but i'll say it.
JESS: is that from experience?
KENNEDY: (laughs) i've got a whole list of times i said something wrong out loud in front of people, yeah. that's most of how i learned.
JESS: give me a quick one before we wrap.
KENNEDY: okay — quick one. my coworker javier taught me a phrase once, told me it meant something totally normal. i used it proudly on a customer. it was not normal. customer laughed pretty hard actually. i made javier write it down after so i'd never do that again.
JESS: you're not gonna tell us what it was.
KENNEDY: absolutely not. ask javier.
JESS: fair. okay — next session, what are we covering.
KENNEDY: next time we're doing directions. how to ask for them, how to give them, what to do when somebody's pointing and talking fast and you gotta just nod and follow the pointing. real useful one. i gave a coworker directions once entirely in spanish and he actually made it there. no english at all. that one felt good.
JESS: proud?
KENNEDY: proud. don't get much of that lately. i'll take it where i can get it. ✨
JESS: love that. okay, that's episode two. go listen at the grocery store, folks.
KENNEDY: say it out loud. even if it's wrong. wrong gets smaller.
podcast_scriptClass podcast — episode 3
Audio coming soon — show notes below.
JESS: —wait, back up, you actually wrote it down? in the notebook?
KENNEDY: three new words. i'm not proud of how i got them but i'm not sorry either.
JESS: okay for people just joining us, kennedy has a notebook of phrases she overhears at costco and macey's.
KENNEDY: it's not creepy. it's field research.
JESS: it's a little creepy.
KENNEDY: it's a little creepy. two women arguing about which apples were on sale, full conversation, i got three verbs out of it just standing there with my cart.
JESS: this is episode three of the beginner spanish podcast, i'm jess, i produce these, i do not speak spanish, i just hit record and nod. kennedy teaches the class on tuesdays.
KENNEDY: hi.
JESS: so we're a few sessions in now. how's the room feeling.
KENNEDY: good. loud, which is what i want. quiet room means nobody's practicing, they're just sitting there being embarrassed at each other.
JESS: you want the noise.
KENNEDY: i want the noise. and actually — this happened last class, and it's the reason i still do this. we get to the part where they pair up, greeting, how are you, i'm fine, and you. simple stuff. and one pair just... strung it together. whole back and forth, no stopping, no looking at me for help.
JESS: and?
KENNEDY: i went quiet. i thought we'd need three more weeks for that. we didn't need three more weeks. i stood there kind of stunned honestly.
JESS: that's a good moment.
KENNEDY: it's the whole job in one moment. that's why i keep showing up. every class i think somebody's gonna have that and it's usually somebody i wasn't expecting.
JESS: okay i want the practical thing today. give me one thing a person can use tonight, doesn't matter if they're in the class or not.
KENNEDY: "no entiendo." i don't understand.
JESS: that's it?
KENNEDY: that's the one. most classes teach it last, like it's some bonus phrase. i teach it week one because it buys you time. somebody's talking fast, you're lost, you say "no entiendo" and now they slow down, or they try different words, or they point at something. it doesn't fix the conversation. it keeps you in it.
JESS: no entiendo.
KENNEDY: say it again.
JESS: no entiendo.
KENNEDY: right word, right second, and you're already better off than half the people who freeze and just nod along pretending they got it.
JESS: guilty, honestly, in every language.
KENNEDY: everybody's guilty. that's the fix though. one phrase, say it out loud, done.
JESS: okay tell me the taco thing. i've heard you mention it but never the whole story.
KENNEDY: oh no.
JESS: oh yes.
KENNEDY: so i decide i'm gonna order entirely in spanish, this is early on, i'm feeling good about myself. taco place in provo. i ask for pollo, chicken.
JESS: uh huh.
KENNEDY: guy heard something else. lengua came out. tongue.
JESS: tongue tongue?
KENNEDY: tongue tongue. beef tongue taco.
JESS: what'd you do.
KENNEDY: ate it. wasn't gonna make a scene. it was actually good, texture's weird but the flavor's fine, i'm not mad about it anymore.
JESS: but that's not the lesson.
KENNEDY: that's not the lesson. the lesson is my pronunciation was sluffed just enough that the whole order went sideways, and i still ate my mistake instead of fixing it in the moment. now i'd just say "no entiendo, otra vez" — say it again — and we'd have sorted it out before it got to my plate.
JESS: so the phrase from ten minutes ago would've saved you from tongue.
KENNEDY: would've saved me from tongue. see, it all connects. ✨
JESS: i love that for you. okay, what's coming up next session, give people a reason to show up.
KENNEDY: we're doing the grocery store scenario. full role play, actually walking through asking where something is, asking for a different size, saying you're just looking. it's the one people ask about most because it's the most real. you're gonna use it more than you use "nice to meet you at a party."
JESS: very utah county coded, honestly, half your vocabulary probably comes from a checkout line anyway.
KENNEDY: more than half. you don't need a trip anywhere. you need the produce section on a saturday.
JESS: alright. no entiendo, say it loud, we'll see you tuesday.
KENNEDY: see you tuesday.
FlashcardsPrintable flashcards — Beginner Spanish Conversation
Print it, fold it, stick it on the fridge.
Beginner Spanish Conversation — Flashcard Set
Cut these apart on the lines. Front on one side, back on the other, or just keep them as a strip and cover the answer with your hand — works fine either way. Fold along the middle line if you want them to stand up on a table like tent cards.
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FRONT BACK Hello to a stranger — what do you actually say? Buenos días (morning), buenas tardes (afternoon), buenas noches (evening/night). Skip "hola" with someone older or someone you don't know — the time-of-day greeting reads as respect, not extra effort. The three phrases that get you out of trouble first No hablo mucho español (I don't speak much Spanish), ¿Habla inglés? (Do you speak English?), Perdón (sorry/excuse me). Learn these before anything else. They buy you patience. My name is ___, and what's yours? Me llamo ___. / ¿Cómo se llama usted? (formal) or ¿Cómo te llamas? (casual). Literally "I call myself" — nobody's naming themselves twice, it just sounds that way. How are you? I'm fine. And you? ¿Cómo está? — Estoy bien, gracias. ¿Y usted? Swap in ¿Cómo estás? / ¿Y tú? if you're talking to someone your age or younger. The five vowels — say them a hundred times a (ah) e (eh) i (ee) o (oh) u (oo). Every single one. No "long A," no surprises. This is the whole trick to reading Spanish out loud — the vowels never lie to you. Rolling the R — or not Try it, but don't stall out over it. A soft, un-rolled R still gets understood. Nobody's failing you on pronunciation in real life. Worry about the R after you've got the sentence out. Words that trip up English speakers Embarazada ≠ embarrassed (it means pregnant). Éxito ≠ exit (it means success). Actualmente ≠ actually (it means "currently"). File these away so you don't say something wild by accident. Reading a word out loud you've never seen Sound out every letter, hit those five vowels honestly, and don't guess an English pronunciation onto it. Spanish spelling is way more predictable than English — trust the letters. Asking where something is ¿Dónde está ___? (Where is ___?) Point, say the word, add "por favor." That's a full sentence in a pinch. Numbers for prices and quantities uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez — then it's mostly patterns. You need these cold before you need almost anything else. How much is this? Is it on sale? ¿Cuánto cuesta? (How much does it cost?) — ¿Está en oferta? (Is it on sale?) Point at the item while you say it. Pointing is not cheating. Please, thank you, small talk in line Por favor. Gracias. De nada (you're welcome). A nod and gracias while you wait is 90% of what "small talk in line" needs to be. Ordering at a taco place Quisiera ___, por favor (I'd like ___, please) — then just the name of the thing. Con todo = with everything. Para llevar = to go. I'd like ___ / Can I have ___? Quisiera ___ (softer, more polite) or ¿Me da ___? (literally "will you give me," used constantly for ordering). Either works — quisiera is the safer default. For here, to go, and one more thing Para aquí (for here), para llevar (to go), algo más (one more thing / anything else). If someone asks you ¿Algo más? they're asking if you want anything else. I don't eat that / allergies / no thanks No como ___ (I don't eat ___) — Soy alérgico/alérgica a ___ (I'm allergic to ___) — No, gracias (No thank you — full stop, not rude). Asking directions and understanding the answer ¿Cómo llego a ___? (How do I get to ___?) Listen for derecha (right), izquierda (left), derecho (straight ahead) — and watch the hands. People point. Use it. The bathroom, the basics ¿Dónde está el baño? — that's the one you actually need. Also good: agua (water), la cuenta (the check/bill). Slower please, say that again Más despacio, por favor (slower, please) — No entiendo (I don't understand) — ¿Puede repetir? (Can you repeat that?) Use all three, in a row if you have to. Nobody minds. Getting out of a conversation gracefully Con permiso (excuse me, I need to get by) — Fue un placer (it was a pleasure) — Nos vemos (see you around). Exit lines matter as much as opening ones. A real conversation, greeting to goodbye Buenos días → Me llamo ___, ¿y usted? → Estoy bien, gracias → [small talk] → Fue un placer → Adiós / Nos vemos. That whole arc is maybe six lines. You already have all six. Asking questions, keeping it going ¿Qué tal? (how's it going — casual), ¿Y tú/usted? (thrown back at the end of anything), ¿De verdad? (really?). Bouncing a question back is 80% of "conversation." Where to keep practicing after this class Order in Spanish somewhere that'll let you. Watch something with Spanish subtitles on, even in English audio. Find one person — coworker, neighbor — willing to let you be bad at it out loud. That's the actual method. There's no other one. ---
One aside: I still get "estoy embarazada" and "estoy avergonzada" mixed up sometimes, and I've been doing this two years. Everybody's got a word like that. Keep the ones that trip you up on a card by themselves and just look at it more.
Memory helpsMnemonics & memory helps
Print it, fold it, stick it on the fridge.
Mnemonics & Memory Helps Beginner Spanish Conversation — handouts for Week 1 through the last night
Corny is fine. Corny is the point. Your brain keeps the dumb rhyme long after it's dropped the "correct" grammar term. I stole most of these off other people, mangled a few, made two up in my truck. Use whatever sticks.
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1. The five vowels, said a hundred times "A E I O U" → "Ah, Eh, Ee, Oh, Ooh" — say it like you stubbed your toe five different ways.
Spanish vowels never change. That's the whole gift of this language — a is always "ah," never "ay." English cheats on its vowels constantly. Spanish doesn't.
Memory trick: "My Enemy Isn't Osvaldo, Usually." First letter of each word = A E I O U in order. Dumb sentence, but you'll never forget it's Osvaldo's fault.
Practice by saying five random English words wrong on purpose — "pasta" as "PAH-stah," not "PAS-tuh." Once you can hear the difference, you can say it.
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2. Buenos días, and hello to a stranger Clock rule: Días (morning) until noon-ish, tardes (afternoon) until it feels like dinner, noches (night) once it does. You already do this in English without thinking — "good morning" doesn't sound right at 4pm. Same instinct, different words.
Trick: "Días is early, noches is close" — days start, nights close things down. Tardes is just the middle you don't have to think hard about.
Hola works anytime. When in doubt, hola and a nod buys you time to remember the rest.
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3. The phrases that get you out of trouble first Before anything else, these four:
Spanish Say it like Means No entiendo no en-tee-EN-doh I don't understand Más despacio mahs des-PAH-see-oh Slower ¿Cómo? KOH-moh What? (polite) Perdón pehr-DOHN Sorry / excuse me Memory trick: "No, más, cómo, perdón" — sounds like a grumpy toddler. That's the tone you want anyway. You're allowed to be a little lost out loud.
Learn these before you learn "hello." Hello is decoration. This is the seatbelt.
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4. My name is, and what's yours Me llamo — "may YAH-mo." The double-L sounds like a Y. Every time.
Trick: "Llamo" rhymes with "I'm-o" — as in "I'm-o Kennedy." Ugly rhyme, but it fixes the double-L problem for good, because English speakers want to say "la-mo" and it's wrong.
¿Cómo te llamas? — literally "what do you call yourself." Not "what is your name," which is a different sentence entirely and trips people up later when they try to translate word-for-word instead of learning the shape of it.
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5. How are you, I'm fine, and you ¿Cómo estás? — Bien, ¿y tú?
Trick: it's a tennis match. Question — answer — return the question. "¿Y tú?" is just lobbing it back. You don't need new words to keep a fifteen-second exchange going, you need to know you're allowed to just bounce the question back at them. This is 80% of small talk in any language.
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6. Rolling the R, or not, and being understood anyway Stop trying to roll it like a cartoon. Nobody at the taco counter is grading you.
Trick: say "butter" fast, the American way — that flap your tongue does on the double-T? That's most of your rolled R. Say "pero" (but) like you're saying "putter" without the U. Close enough gets you fed.
The real skill isn't the trill, it's not freezing when you can't do it. Say the word. Move on.
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7. Words that trip up English speakers Embarazada does not mean embarrassed. It means pregnant. Learned that one from Javier's face when I used it wrong in a meeting.
Trick: "Embarazada — big surprise, but not the one you meant." If a word sounds exactly like an English word, be suspicious of it, not comfortable with it. Spanish is full of these — false friends. When something feels too easy, check it.
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8. Reading a word out loud you've never seen Spanish spelling doesn't lie to you the way English does. Every letter earns its place.
Trick: "If you can spell it, you can say it." Sound out every letter like you're reading it to a five-year-old, no skipping. J sounds like H. H is silent. Double-L is Y. Once you've got those three swaps memorized, you can read almost anything cold — better than you can in English, honestly.
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9. Asking where something is ¿Dónde está...? — where is...
Trick: "Dónde" rhymes with "wonder" — you're wondering where it is. Bad rhyme, sticks anyway.
Practice this one with your hand cupped over your eyes like you're actually searching. Muscle memory helps more than you'd think — your body remembers the gesture, the gesture drags the words with it.
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10. Numbers you need for prices and quantities Ten and under first. Cold. No hesitating.
# Spanish Sounds like 1 uno OO-no 2 dos dohs 3 tres trehs 4 cuatro KWAH-tro 5 cinco SEEN-koh 6 seis SAYS 7 siete see-EH-teh 8 ocho OH-choh 9 nueve NWEH-veh 10 diez dee-EHS Trick: "Seis" says "says" — six says what it costs. For everything past ten, tens and units just glue together (veinte = 20, veintiuno = 21). Once you have 1-10 and the word for ten, twenty, thirty solid, you can build almost any number by ear.
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11. How much is this, and is it on sale ¿Cuánto cuesta? — how much does it cost.
Trick: "Cuánto, cuesta" — both start with the sound of "kw," like something clicking into place. Quantity, cost — click, click.
Follow-up: ¿Hay descuento? — is there a discount. "Hay" sounds exactly like "eye" — picture raising an eyebrow when you ask it. That's the tone.
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12. Please, thank you, and small talk in line Por favor. Gracias. De nada.
Trick: this is a three-step handshake. Ask (por favor) → receive (gracias) → they wave it off (de nada). Practice all three in one breath until they're a single unit, not three separate vocabulary words. In real conversation they show up glued together like that anyway.
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13. Ordering at a taco place — quiero, puedo, para Quiero (I want) is fine but blunt. ¿Puedo tener...? (can I have) or Me gustaría... (I'd like) is softer, more how you'd actually talk to a stranger.
Trick: "Quiero" is a demand, "puedo" is a question, pick the question when you're not sure how direct is too direct. Same rule as English — "I want a taco" vs. "could I get a taco" — Spanish has the same manners gap, use it.
Para aquí o para llevar? — for here or to go. Trick: "llevar" sounds like "leave-ar" — you're gonna leave with it. Para llevar = to go.
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14. I don't eat that — allergies and no thanks No como... (I don't eat) + the thing. Soy alérgico/a a... (I'm allergic to).
Trick: "Alérgico" looks and sounds close enough to "allergic" that you don't need a trick — but the danger is confidence. This is the one phrase in the whole class worth over-practicing until it's automatic, because a shrug and a guess is not an acceptable outcome here. Say it slow, say it clear, don't dress it up.
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15. Asking for directions and understanding the answer You will understand the question fine. You will not understand the answer. That's the actual skill gap.
Trick: listen for the shape, not every word — "a la derecha" (right), "a la izquierda" (left), "todo derecho" (straight ahead), "dos cuadras" (two blocks). Those five phrases are 90% of every direction anyone will ever give you. Everything else is filler you can lose and still get where you're going.
Trick for left/right: "Izquierda" is the long, weird one — save the easy one, "derecha," for right, since "right" is the shorter word too. Length matches length.
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16. The bathroom, the hotel, the basics ¿Dónde está el baño? Learn this one so hard you could say it awake at 3am. You will need it exactly when you're too flustered to think, so it has to already be muscle memory, not vocabulary.
Trick: "Baño" sounds like "bath-o." That's it. That's the whole trick. Some words don't need one.
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17. Slower please, I don't understand, say that again Already covered the core four in #3. Add: ¿Puede repetir? — can you repeat.
Trick: all of these phrases share the same job — buying time — so practice them as a set, in order, like a script: "Perdón — no entiendo — más despacio, por favor — ¿puede repetir?" Say the whole chain out loud until it's one move, not four separate lifelines you have to dig for separately when you're already panicking.
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18. Getting out of a conversation gracefully Bueno, nos vemos — okay, see you. Que tengas un buen día — have a good day.
Trick: "Nos vemos" — "we see" each other, casual, not final. It's the Spanish version of "alright, take care" — doesn't promise anything, just closes the door softly. Learn the soft exit before you learn anything fancier. You'll use it more than you think.
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19. Asking questions and keeping it going The five workhorses: qué (what), dónde (where), cuándo (when), cómo (how), por qué (why).
Trick: "Qué, dónde, cuándo, cómo, por qué" — same order as English, practically: what, where, when, how, why. The gift here is Spanish question words mostly line up with English ones in the sentence — you're not relearning logic, just vocabulary. Say the list five times a day for a week and it stops being a list and starts being a reflex.
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20. One long back-and-forth, no English There's no trick for this one. This is the test the tricks were for. By the last class you should be able to do greeting → name → how are you → small question → order or ask directions → thank you → soft exit, all connected, no English safety net.
If you get stuck: go back to #3. No entiendo, más despacio, cómo, perdón. That's not failure. That's the actual sentence real learners use most, every day, forever. Even Javier still says "cómo" to me sometimes. Fair's fair.
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Print this, fold it, keep it in the truck or the bag or wherever you'll actually see it again. The tricks are ugly on purpose — pretty mnemonics don't stick, embarrassing ones do.
Cheat sheetOne-page note card — Beginner Spanish Conversation
Print it, fold it, stick it on the fridge.
Beginner Spanish Conversation — Fridge Note
Kennedy's cheat sheet. Keep it on the fridge, not in a drawer where you'll forget it exists.
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1. The five vowels — say them a hundred times a, e, i, o, u — sound the same every single time. That's it. That's the whole gift Spanish gives you. English vowels change costumes depending on the word. Spanish ones don't. Say them out loud right now: ah, eh, ee, oh, oo. Do that in the shower for a week and your accent gets better than mine.
2. The phrases that get you out of trouble first - No entiendo — I don't understand - ¿Puede repetir? — Can you repeat that? - Más despacio, por favor — Slower, please - ¿Habla inglés? — Do you speak English?
Learn these before anything else. This is your seatbelt.
3. Hello, and how are you - Buenos días (morning) / Buenas tardes (afternoon) / Buenas noches (evening) - ¿Cómo está? — How are you (polite/stranger) - Estoy bien, ¿y usted? — I'm fine, and you?
4. Names - Me llamo Kennedy — My name is Kennedy - ¿Cómo se llama? — What's your name?
5. Rolling the R — or not The rolled R is a party trick, not a requirement. People understand you without it. Don't let it be the reason you stop talking. Say pero wrong for a year. Keep going.
6. Words that trip up English speakers | Spanish | Looks like | Actually means | |---|---|---| | embarazada | embarrassed | pregnant | | éxito | exit | success | | sopa | soap | soup | | ropa | rope | clothes |
7. Reading a word out loud you've never seen Sound out every letter — Spanish doesn't hide silent letters on you (except h, always silent). If you can read the five vowels, you can read almost any word. Slower than you think you need to go.
8. Numbers for prices and quantities uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez — then diez y... (or just say the teens, close enough gets you fed). ¿Cuánto cuesta? — How much is this? ¿Está en oferta? — Is it on sale?
9. Please, thank you, small talk in line Por favor. Gracias. De nada. — Please, thank you, you're welcome. ¿Qué tal? works for almost any small talk moment. Nobody expects Shakespeare in line.
10. Ordering food - Quisiera... / Me gustaría... — I'd like... - ¿Puedo tener...? — Can I have...? - Para aquí o para llevar — For here or to go - Una cosa más — One more thing - No como eso / Soy alérgico a... — I don't eat that / I'm allergic to... - No, gracias — no, and that's a full sentence, use it
11. Asking for directions (and surviving the answer) ¿Dónde está el baño? — Where's the bathroom (this one gets memorized first, for good reason). ¿Dónde está...? for anything else. Listen for derecha (right), izquierda (left), derecho (straight) — those three words are 90% of every answer you'll get.
12. Getting out of a conversation gracefully Fue un placer. Nos vemos. Que tenga buen día. — It was a pleasure, see you around, have a good day. You don't need a dramatic exit. Say the phrase, smile, go.
13. A real conversation, start to finish Greeting → name → how are you → small talk (weather, work, kids) → the actual thing you needed → thank you → goodbye. That whole arc uses maybe thirty words. You already have most of them from this page.
14. Keep asking questions to keep it going ¿Y usted? — And you? — is the cheapest, easiest way to keep a conversation alive. Ask it back. People like being asked.
15. Where to keep practicing after this class Talk to somebody. That's it. Apps and shows are fine for warming up, but the job gets done in a real conversation with a real person who's patient with you — a coworker, a neighbor, the guy at the counter who's heard every terrible accent there is and doesn't care.
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You're going to say things wrong. Say them anyway. Wrong gets smaller every time you open your mouth — that's the whole class, right there.
Around the web
Sites we keep coming back to. Some picked by your instructor, some shared in class.
- Spanish Language (Wikipedia) ↗
A solid overview of where Spanish comes from and how it varies across countries, good background reading before we start talking.
- Spanish Grammar (Wikipedia) ↗
Useful if you want to peek at the grammar structure behind the phrases we practice in class, though we will keep things conversational.
- Spanish Verb Conjugation (Wikipedia) ↗
A reference for verb endings once you start noticing patterns in how we conjugate common verbs like hablar and comer.
- SpanishDict ↗
My go to recommendation for quick word lookups, example sentences, and verb conjugation charts when you are practicing outside class.
- StudySpanish.com ↗
A no frills site with clear grammar lessons and audio that pairs well with our conversation focused class if you want more structure.
- Notes in Spanish ↗
A podcast and lesson site with real conversations between a native speaker and a learner, great for training your ear.
- Language Guide Spanish ↗
Simple audio vocabulary pages organized by topic, handy for building the basic words we use in our roleplay exercises.
- Lightspeed Spanish ↗
A friendly podcast style resource that breaks down everyday phrases, nice for listening practice between our sessions.
Videos worth your time
Hand-picked by your instructor, with notes on what to watch for.
- Learn Spanish - Basic Conversation (Beginner)Señor Jordan
This one walks through short basic conversation exchanges, so pause after each line and repeat it out loud.
- Basic Conversation Practice in Spanish for Beginners | HOLA SPANISH | BRENDA & ROMINA ROMANIELLOHola Spanish
Two native speakers model a real back and forth conversation, so listen for how they greet each other and ask questions.
- SPANISH CONVERSATION FOR BEGINNERS (SLOW AND EASY!) | COMMON SPANISH PHRASES FOR EVERYDAY LIFE21 languages
The pace is slow and deliberate, so use it to focus on pronunciation of common everyday phrases.
Practice corner
6 quizzes and 2 games. Playable by anyone, no account needed.
Open the practice corner →