It seems that a number of European languages have become more commonplace in the English speaking countries all over the world. Thanks to the ease of travelling across continents, European languages such as Spanish and French have become infused with our society. But to get by in a new city, you don’t have to learn a whole new language every time. There are basic phrases that can help you get what you need. Below are some useful phrases that will help you to connect with the locals and build a rapport with them while you travel around Mexico.
You may want to know how to ask for your favourite foods or simply to wish someone a good night. Whatever the phrase you want to communicate it is certainly valuable if you know some of the common phrases used in this locale.
Knowing how to ask someone where the nearest toilet is can be a lifesaver, especially if Montezuma has gotten his revenge. You can simply ask, “¿Donde está el baño?”, which means “Where is the bathroom?“. It is pronounced “DOHN-day ays-TAH ayl BAHN-yoh.” Just about everyone will be happy to point you in the right direction.
Meeting and greeting people is another key topic, but you don’t want to simply say “hola” (OH lah) because it means “hello” and can often be considered as too impersonal. A more formal greeting would be to say “Cómo está?” (KOH-moh ays-TAH), which means “How are you?”.
You may get back several answers to your question such as:
“Fine, thank you” — “Bien, gracias” (BEE-ayn GRAH-see-ahs), or
“Very good, thank you” — “Muy bien, gracias” (MOOEE BEE-ayn GRAH-see-ahs).
Some other words and phrases that come in handy include:
“How much is it?” — “¿Cuanto cuesta?”
“May I take a photo?” — “¿Puedo tomar una foto?”
“Can you help me?” — “Puede ayudarme?”
“I don’t understand” — “No comprende”
“Just a minute” — “un momento”
“The bill please” — “La cuenta, por favor”
These common words and phrases will help you to get by and while you are in Mexico you may pick up more of the language on your own just by associating with the people of the land on a daily basis.
Learning any language is difficult to say the least and knowing what to say and when to say it can mean the difference between success and failure in your travel ventures.
As a very last resort to communicating, you can ask them if they speak English. But you will want to use this phrase sparingly:
“I don’t speak Spanish. Do you speak English?” — “No hablo español. ¿Habla usted inglés?”
Try if you can to use as much of the local language as possible even though many people in Mexico do in fact speak English, but Spanish is the preferred language.
When you are travelling also try to learn some of the local customs and understand their meaning to the native people. This will go a long way in establishing new connections and getting a good education in other cultures beliefs and practices.
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