A free Spanish class to travel Nicaragua

By Raúl Gavarrette
Consulting for Nicaragua Spanish Lessons
http://www.nicaragua-spanish-lessons.com

Learning a foreign language is more than a simple priority in modern times. Learning Spanish has
become a necessity for those who want to be more competitive in the labor world, even for those who
just study Spanish for fun and travel to different destinations in Central America in countries like
Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Guatemala.

For those who are learning Spanish by travelling and are to visit either Nicaragua, Costa Rica or
Guatemala here is a list of survival expressions that might be helpful to express yourself at a basic level
when communication is part of the daily life in the Central American Spanish speaking countries. Some
specific sayings and expressions of this free Spanish class are used indistinctly in Nicaragua, Guatemala
and Costa Rica.

Spanish greetings and introductions:

Buenos días [buehnos diahs]: good morning

Buenas tardes [buenahs tardehs]: good afternoon

Buenas noches [buenahs nohshes]: good evening

Buenas [buenahs]: good morning, good afternoon, good evening

Hola [ohlah]: Hello ¿Cómo se llama? [Kohmoh seh jahmah?]: What's your name?

Mi nombre es… [Meeh nohmbreh ehs…]My name is…

Mucho gusto [moosho guhsto]: Nice to meet you

Encantado [enkahntadoh]: Pleased to meet you (masculine)

Encantada [enkahntadah]: Pleased to meet you (femenine)

Igualmente [igooahlmehnte]: Nice to meet you, too

Looking for places:

¿Dónde está el baño por favor? [Dohndeh estah ehl bahnhyo pohr
fahvor]: Where´s the bathroom please?

¿Dónde hay un banco cerca por favor? [Dohndeh ahy uhn bahnko
sehrkah pohr fahvor]: Where´s a bank near here please?

¿Dónde puedo cambiar dinero? [Dohndeh pooehdoh kambeeahr deehnehro]: Where can I change money?

¿Dónde está la parada de bus a Granada? [Dohndeh estah lah pahrahdah deh boos ah grahnada pohr
fahvor]: Where´s the bus stop to Granada please?

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Dónde está el correo por favor? [Dohndeh estah ehl cohrehoh pohr fahvor]:Where´s the post office pls ?

¿Dónde hay un internet cerca por favor? [Dohndeh ahy uhn internet sehrkah pohr fahvor]: Where´s an
internet near here please?

¿Dónde hay un restaurante cerca por favor? [Dohndeh ahy uhn restahuranteh sehrkah pohr fahvor]:
Where´s a restaurant near here please?

¿Dónde hay una farmacia cerca por favor? [Dohndeh ahy uhna fahrmaciah sehrkah pohr fahvor]: Where
´s a pharmacy near here please?

¿Dónde hay un hostal barato por favor? [Dohndeh ahy uhn hostahl barahtoh pohr fahvor]: Where can I
find a cheap hostal please?

¿Hay una soda cerca de aquí? [Ahy uhna soda sehrkah deh ahkee]: Is there a snack place near here?
(Used in Costa Rican Spanish)

¿Hay un cafetín cerca de aquí? [Ahy uhn kahpheteen sehrkah deh ahkee]: Is there a snack place near
here? (Used in Nicaraguan Spanish)

¿Dónde está la parada del camión a Antigua Guatemala? [Dohndeh estah lah pahrahdah dehl kahmeeohn
ah anteegooah gooahtehmahla]: Where´s the bus stop to Antigua Guatemala please? (Spanish in
Guatemala)

¿Cómo puedo ir a Playa Tamarindo? [Kohmoh pooehdoh ihr ah plaheeah tahmahreendoh]: How can I get
to Tamarindo Beach? (This is one of the very popular beaches in Guanacaste, Costa Rica)

¿Cómo puedo ir a Laguna de Apoyo? [Kohmoh pooehdoh ihr ah lahgoonah deh apohyoh]: How can I get
to Laguna de Apoyo? (Crater Lake in Nicaragua)

¿Dónde está la parada de buses a San Juan del Sur? [Dohndeh estah lah pahrahdah deh boosehs ah
sahn juahn dehl suhr]: Where´s the bus stop to San Juan del Sur? (San Juan del Sur is a popular
beach in Nicaragua)

¿Dónde queda la escuela de español? [Dohndeh kehdah lah ehskooehlah deh ehspaneeohl]: Where´s the
Spanish school located?

Shopping

¿Cuánto cuesta esto? ¿Puedo pagar en dólares?

[Kuahntoh kuehstah eshto?]: [Puehdoh pahgahr ehn
How much is this? dohlarehs?]: Can I pay in dollars?

¿Cuánto cuesta el vigorón? ¿Acepta tarjeta de crédito?

[Kuahntoh kuehstah ehl [Ahceptah tarhetah deh
veegohron?]: How much is the credeetoh?]: Do you accept credit
vigorón? (Typical Nicaraguan card?
dish original from Granada)

Making a reservation

Quisiera una habitación sencilla por favor [Keesiehrah uhnah

ahbeetahshiohn sehnsheeyah]: I'd like a single room please

Quisiera una habitación doble por favor [Keesiehrah uhnah

ahbeetahshiohn doubleh]: I'd like a double room please

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Quisiera una habitación con aire acondicionado por favor [Keesiehrah uhnah ahbeetahshiohn kohn
ayreh ahkondeeshionahdoh pohr favor]: I'd like a room with air conditioning please

Quisiera una habitación con abanico por favor [Keesiehrah uhnah ahbeetahshiohn kohn abahneeko pohr
favor]: I'd like a room with a fan please

Ordering in a restaurant

Quisiera un filete miñón por favor [Keesiehrah uhn filleteh mihnheeon pohr favor]: I'd like a fillet
mignon please

Quisiera una cerveza por favor [Keesiehrah uhnah cehrvehzah pohr favor]: I'd like a beer please

Quisiera un jugo de naranja por favor [Keesiehrah uhn hugoh deh nahranha pohr favor]: I'd like some
orange juice please

Quisiera huevos fritos y tocino por favor [Keesiehrah uevohs freetohs eeh tohceenoh pohr favor]: I'd
like bacon and eggs

Quisiera café con leche por favor [Keesiehrah café kohn lehsheh pohr favor]: I'd like coffee and milk
please

La cuenta por favor [lah cuenta pohr favor]: Can you bring me the bill please?

Learning more

¿Qué significa? [Keh seehneefeekah?]: What does it mean?

¿Cómo se dice…? [Kohmoh seh deehseh?] : How do you say…?
Lo siento. No entiendo. Estoy aprendiendo español.[Loh
seehentoh. [No ehnteehendoh, ehstohy ahprehndiendoh
ehspanyol]: I´m sorry. I don't understand, I am learning
Spanish.
Despacio por favor, no hablo mucho español [Dehspahsheeoh
pohr favor. Noh ahbloh mooshoh ehspahneeol]: Speak slowly
please, I don't speak much Spanish.

Central American Spanish words

Agua [ahgooah]: it mostly means water but in some context in Guatemala Spanish means refreshment.
Agua de sabor [ahgooah deh sahbor]: it means pop soda. (Guatemalan Spanish)
Camion [kahmeeon]: it mostly means truck but in Guatemalan Spanish language means bus.
Sí pues [seeh pooehs]: Yes, ok. (Guatemalan Spanish)
Pura vida [poohrah veehdah]: Cool (Spanish expression used in Costa Rican)
Un refresco [uhn rehphrehsko]: A pop soda (Spanish in Costa Rica)
Hasta luego[ahstah looehgo]: See you later (Costa Rican Spanish)
Un fresco [uhn phrehsko]: A natural refreshment (Spanish in Nicaragua)
Nos vemos[nohs vehmos]: See you later (Nicaraguan Spanish)
Va pues [vah puehs]: ok, I agree (Nicaraguan Spanish expressions)

http://nicaragua-spanish-lessons.com