“Stairs, the stairs. I’m looking for the Stairs” That was me a couple weeks ago asking a very patient but confused guy about where the stairs were so I could find the bathroom. After mimicking the act of walking up the stairs with my hands he finally understood and let me know the word I was looking for was escalera , which translates into staircase, stairway, or ladder.
Considering that I live in California and Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world, according to Babbel.com (Chinese is first, English is third). I realized that knowledge of some basic but useful Spanish words could go a long way in smoothing the rough edges of my attempts to communicate with people in their native language.
So we here at the Advocate got together and came up with a list of the 10 most useful Spanish words for traveling. Before we begin, just to be clear these are singular words only, not phrases or sentences. And though, when you say the word escalera to someone it’s technically not the correct way to ask “where are the stairs” they will almost certainly understand what you’re asking. Also we are avoiding the ubiquitous words like hola, adios, or gracias and many more, Let begin!
1) ‘Buscando’ – Which stands for ‘looking’. On its own this word doesn’t do much to convey your message but it’s nonetheless the most important word on this list because it provides a base with which to start your message. And when combined with other words on this list your meaning will be much clearer.
2) ‘Hospedaje’ – Which stands for ‘lodging’. We all know the word ‘casa’ but ‘hospedaje’ is better suited for traveling, as asking random people to take you home could get a little iffy. Or maybe not, it is a vacation after all.
3) ‘Compras’ – Which stands for ‘shopping’. What’s more important than knowing the best places to go shopping when you’re on vacation. Plus you support the local economy, and the best shopping finds are always in other countries.
4) ‘Ayuda’ – Which stands for ‘help’. Hopefully the only reason you would need this word is to ask for help carrying all the great finds you got while shopping, or maybe to help carry all your winnings from one of several casinos that are available in a number of Spanish speaking countries.
5) ‘ Discoteca/s’ – Which stands for ‘club’ or ‘clubbing’. Experiencing the local nightlife can be one the best parts of a vacation. With this word you should be able to locate the best club or bar in the area to frequent. You can also use the phrase for ‘nightlife’ which is ‘vida nocturna’.
6) ‘Poco’ – Which stands for ‘a little bit’. When you hear the words ‘mas cerveza’ for the fifth time you may wanna have this handy little word chambered. Now you could always use the well known word ‘pequeño’but this just stands for ‘small’ leaving the lesser known ‘poco’ as a better option.
7) ‘Transporte’ – Which stands for ‘transportation’. Chances are you are going to need to find a way to get around at some point, with this word you should be able to find any means of transportation. You can also use the word for ‘car’ which is ‘coche’.
8) ‘Tiempo’ – Which stands for ‘time’. This word is definitely straddling the ubiquitous border but for most non Spanish speakers traveling through Spanish speaking countries this is definitely an important word to have holstered and ready to go.
9) ‘Comer’ – Which stands for ‘to eat’. You can also use the word for food which is ‘comida’. Either way with this word you can potentially cover all your food needs from a lite snack to a recommendation for a local restaurant.
10) ‘Cerca/Lejos’ – Which stands for ‘near/far’. Our final offering is two very useful words for the intrepid traveler. Much like the first word on our list, these are two important base words which can be fused with other words to hopefully make your meaning understandable.
Happy Travels!
