advertisements
|
Spanish pronunciation and spelling are quite simple once you master the basic rules. The following paragraphs will help you with the basic pronunciation and grammar.
Take note that there is a formal and informal way of saying "you" in Spanish. The informal "you" is used when talking to relatives, close friends, children and animals. The formal "you" is used when talking to people you have just met or do not know well, also as a sign of respect. This also applies when using "you" in the plural.
|
|
- Food-meat
- Food-fish
- Hotels
- Laundry
- Luggage
- Making Friends
- Maps
- Measurements
- Money
- Months of the Year
- Numbers
- Paying
- Petrol Stations
- Post Office
- Problems
- Pronunciation
- Questions
- Shopping
- Sight Seeing
- Signs and Notices
- Taxis
- Telephone
- Times
- Walking
- Weather
- Wine
- Work
|
|
 |
© Copyright 2005-2008 AroundMallorca.com | All Rights Reserved
| BASIC SPANISH PHRASES |
| ENGLISH |
PRONUNCIATION |
SPANISH |
| Hello! / Good morning! |
bway-nohs dee-ahs |
¡Buenos días! |
| Good afternoon! |
bway-nahs tard-ays |
¡Buenas tardes! |
| Good evening! / Good night! |
bway-nahs noh-chays |
¡Buenas noches! |
| Hi! |
oh-lah |
¡Hola! |
| Good bye |
ah-dee-ohs |
Adiós |
| Please |
por fah-bor |
Por favor |
| See you later |
ah-stah loo-ay-go |
Hasta luego |
| See you soon |
ah-stah prohn-toh |
Hasta pronto |
| See you tomorrow |
ah-stah mahn-yahn-ah |
Hasta mañana |
| Thank you (very much) |
(moo-chahs) grah-see-ahs |
(Muchas) Gracias |
| You're welcome |
day nah-dah |
De nada |
| Welcome |
bee-enbeneedohs |
Bienvenidos |
|
|
|
© Copyright 2005-2008 AroundMallorca.com | All Rights Reserved
 |
This section deals with the basic pronunciation of certain letters in Spanish. These rules apply in most cases but, as in English, there are always exceptions. In addition, various local dialects exist which may pronounce things slightly differently.
| PRONUNCIATION |
| SPANISH |
PRONUNCIATION |
EXAMPLE |
PRONUNCIATION |
| ca |
ka |
como |
kohmoh |
| co |
ko |
con |
kohn |
| cu |
ku |
cubo |
koobo |
| ce |
they |
cena |
theynah |
| ci |
thee |
cinema |
theenaymah |
| ga |
ga |
gato |
gatoh |
| go |
go |
algo |
algoh |
| gu |
goo |
algún |
al-goon |
| ge |
khe |
gentil |
khenteel |
| gi |
khee |
giro |
kheero |
| j |
kh (like the ch in "loch") |
jueves |
khwe-bes |
| ll |
ly |
llamar |
lyamah |
| ñ |
ny |
señor |
senyor |
| ua |
w |
cual |
kwal |
| ue |
w |
vuelvo |
bwelboh |
| v |
b |
vuelva |
bwelbah |
| z |
th |
zaragoza |
thara-gotha |
|
|
|
© Copyright 2005-2008 AroundMallorca.com | All Rights Reserved
|
|
Spanish vowels (a, e, i, o, u) have only one pronunciation. When there are two or more together they are all pronounced, for example, adios pronounced "ah-dee-ohs.
| ALPHABET |
| SPANISH |
PRONUNCIATION |
SPANISH |
PRONUNCIATION |
| a |
ah |
n |
ay-nay |
| b |
bay |
ñ |
ayn-yay |
| c |
say |
o |
oh |
| ch |
chay |
p |
pay |
| d |
day |
q |
koo |
| e |
ay |
r |
air-ay |
| f |
ay-fay |
rr |
airr-ay |
| g |
hey |
s |
ay-say |
| h |
ah-chay |
t |
tay |
| i |
ee |
u |
oo |
| j |
hoh-tah |
v |
oo-bay |
| k |
kah |
w |
doh-blay-oo-bay |
| l |
ay-lay |
x |
ah-kees |
| ll |
ay-yay |
y |
ee-gree-ay-gah |
| m |
ay-may |
z |
say-tah |
|
|
|
© Copyright 2005-2008 AroundMallorca.com | All Rights Reserved
|
|
| NUMBERS |
| NUMBER |
SPANISH |
PRONUNCIATION |
NUMBER |
SPANISH |
PRONUNCIATION |
| 0 |
cero |
thay-roh |
16 |
diez y seis |
dee-ays ee says |
| 1 |
uno |
oo-noh |
17 |
diez y siete |
dee-ays ee see-ay-tay |
| 2 |
dos |
dohs |
18 |
diez y ocho |
dee-ays ee oh-chohy |
| 3 |
tres |
trays |
19 |
diez y nueve |
dee-ays ee new-ay-vay |
| 4 |
cuatro |
kuah-troh |
20 |
veinte |
bayn-tay |
| 5 |
cinco |
seen-koh |
21 |
veinte y uno |
bayn-tay ee oo-noh |
| 6 |
seis |
says |
22 |
veinte y dos |
bayn-tay ee dohs |
| 7 |
siete |
see-ay-tay |
30 |
treinta |
trayn-tah |
| 8 |
ocho |
oh-choh |
40 |
cuarenta |
kuar-ain-tah |
| 9 |
nueve |
new-ay-vay |
50 |
cincuenta |
seen-kuain-tah |
| 10 |
diez |
dee-ays |
60 |
sesenta |
say-sain-tah |
| 11 |
once |
ohn-thay |
70 |
setenta |
say-tain-tah |
| 12 |
doce |
doh-thay |
80 |
ochenta |
oh-chain-tah |
| 13 |
trece |
tray-thay |
90 |
noventa |
noh-bain-tah |
| 14 |
catorce |
kah-tor-thay |
100 |
cien(to) |
see-ain-(toh) |
| 15 |
quince |
keen-thay |
1000 |
mil |
meel |
Note: Use "cien" when just saying 100. When over 100 use "ciento". For example 102 is "ciento dos", 145 would be "ciento cuarenta y cinco".
In addition, 16, 17, 18 and 19 can be pronounced "dieciseis","diecisiete", "dieciocho" and "diecinueve", making it all one word. This also applies to numbers 21-29, vientiuno, vientidos etc., but you use "y" for other numbers. |
|
|
© Copyright 2005-2008 AroundMallorca.com | All Rights Reserved
|
|
![]() |
| DAYS OF THE WEEK |
| ENGLISH |
PRONUNCIATION |
SPANISH |
| Monday |
loo-nays |
lunes |
| Tuesday |
mar-tays |
martes |
| Wednesday |
mee-air-coh-lays |
miércoles |
| Thursday |
hway-bays |
jueves |
| Friday |
bee-air-nays |
viernes |
| Saturday |
sah-bah-doh |
sábado |
| Sunday |
doh-ming-oh |
domingo |
| the day |
ail dee-ah |
el día |
| the week |
lah say-mahn-ah |
la semana |
| the weekend |
ail feen day say-mahn-ah |
el fin de semana |
| today |
oy |
hoy |
| tomorrow |
mahn-yahn-ah |
mañana |
| my birthday |
mee coom-play-ahn-yohs |
mi cumpleaños |
|
|
© Copyright 2005-2008 AroundMallorca.com | All Rights Reserved
![]() |
| MONTHS OF THE YEAR |
| ENGLISH |
PRONUNCIATION |
SPANISH |
| January |
ay-nair-oh |
enero |
| February |
fay-bray-roh |
febrero |
| March |
mar-thoh |
marzo |
| April |
ah-breel |
abril |
| May |
my-oh |
mayo |
| June |
junio |
jueves |
| July |
hoo-lee-oh |
julio |
| August |
ah-gohs-toh |
agosto |
| September |
sayp-tee-aim-bray |
septiembre |
| October |
ohk-too-bray |
octubre |
| November |
noh-bee-aim-bray |
noviembre |
| December |
dee-see-aim-bray |
diciembre |
| the month |
ail mais |
el mes |
| the first of [a month] |
ail pree-mair-oh day (month) |
el primero de [month] |
| the year |
ail ahn-yoh |
el año |
|
|
© Copyright 2005-2008 AroundMallorca.com | All Rights Reserved
|
|
