The Essential 20% - Master These First
These 15 phrases solve 80% of tourist situations
Listen, forget the textbooks. I've been working security here for three years, helping nervous tourists at 2am. These phrases work. They're not perfect Spanish, but people understand you, and that's what matters. Memorize these exactly as written.
The Magic 15 - Use These Everywhere
Disculpe, ¿habla inglés?
Excuse me, speak English?
↻
Your escape hatch
Use when stuck
¿Cuánto cuesta?
How much?
↻
Point and ask
Works everywhere
¿Dónde está...?
Where is...?
↻
+ point at map
Finding anything
+ gesture/point
Gets help fast
No entiendo
I don't understand
↻
They'll slow down
Be honest
¿Puede repetir?
Can you repeat?
↻
Formal & polite
Buys time
Add to everything
Magic word
Con permiso
Excuse me (passing)
↻
Getting through crowds
NOT "disculpe"
Está bien
It's fine/okay
↻
Universal response
Ends discussions
¿Tiene...?
Do you have...?
↻
Shops, restaurants
Getting things
Direct & clear
Ordering anything
Restaurant essential
They won't bring it
¿A qué hora?
What time?
↻
Schedules, plans
Critical info
No hablo español
I don't speak Spanish
↻
Sets expectations
People help more
Javier's Truth:
These 15 phrases got a Canadian tourist through two weeks in Mexico. She wrote them on her hand every morning. That's it. That's the system.
The Power Verbs - Master These First
TENER, ESTAR, SER, IR, HACER - The verbs that run Spanish
Look, 80% of Spanish conversations use the same 5-6 verbs. Master these and you can fake your way through anything. Don't waste time on obscure conjugations. These verbs do the heavy lifting.
TENER - The Swiss Army Knife (Have/Feel)
Why TENER Is Magic
English uses "to be" for feelings. Spanish uses "to have." You don't ARE hungry, you HAVE hunger. Weird? Yes. But it handles age, obligations, physical feelings, and possessions. One verb, four jobs.
Tengo hambre
I'm hungry
↻
NOT "estoy hambre"
Most common error
Tengo 25 años
I'm 25 years old
↻
Tengo que irme
I have to go
↻
Obligations
TENER QUE + verb
¿Tienes tiempo?
Do you have time?
↻
Asking availability
Polite approach
Tengo calor/frío
I'm hot/cold
↻
Temperature feelings
NOT "estoy"
No tengo idea
I have no idea
↻
Universal response
When lost
| TENER Quick Reference |
| yo tengo | nosotros tenemos |
| tú tienes | ustedes tienen |
| él/ella tiene | ellos tienen |
IR - Going Places (Movement + Future)
IR Does Double Duty
IR means "to go" but also creates the future tense. "Voy a comer" = I'm going to eat. Two for one deal.
Voy al hotel
I'm going to the hotel
↻
Voy a comer
I'm going to eat
↻
Future action
IR + A + verb
¿Vas a venir?
Are you coming?
↻
Future question
Common phrase
Ya me voy
I'm leaving now
↻
Polite exit
Goodbye phrase
¿A dónde vas?
Where are you going?
↻
Common question
Casual chat
| IR Quick Reference |
| yo voy | nosotros vamos |
| tú vas | ustedes van |
| él/ella va | ellos van |
HACER - The Action Verb (Do/Make)
HACER = Getting Things Done
Covers "do" and "make." Also handles weather. "Hace calor" = It's hot. One verb, many uses.
¿Qué haces?
What are you doing?
↻
Universal question
Conversation starter
Hace calor/frío
It's hot/cold (weather)
↻
Hacer fila
Stand in line
↻
¿Cómo lo hago?
How do I do it?
↻
Asking instructions
Very useful
Hace 2 años
2 years ago
↻
Time expressions
Past reference
No hace falta
It's not necessary
↻
Polite refusal
Don't worry about it
| HACER Quick Reference |
| yo hago | nosotros hacemos |
| tú haces | ustedes hacen |
| él/ella hace | ellos hacen |
Want to Go Deeper?
I'm keeping it simple here - that's my job. But if you want the full story on these verbs:
They're the grammar experts. I just teach what works.
SER vs ESTAR - Stop Overthinking
Two ways to say "to be" - here's the shortcut
Everyone makes this complicated. It's not. SER is for permanent stuff - who you are, where you're from. ESTAR is for temporary stuff - where you are, how you feel. When confused, use ESTAR for location and feelings, SER for everything else. You'll be right 80% of the time.
The Two "To Be" Verbs
Why Two Verbs?
Spanish cares if something is permanent or temporary. English doesn't. We say "I am tall" and "I am tired" using the same verb. Spanish uses different verbs because one is forever, one is right now.
| SER vs ESTAR Quick Reference |
| SER (Permanent) |
ESTAR (Temporary) |
| yo soy |
nosotros somos |
yo estoy |
nosotros estamos |
| tú eres |
ustedes son |
tú estás |
ustedes están |
| él/ella es |
ellos son |
él/ella está |
ellos están |
The 80/20 Rule for SER vs ESTAR
| Use SER For | Use ESTAR For |
Identity & Description
• Soy mexicano (nationality)
• Es doctor (profession)
• Son altos (physical traits)
• Es importante (characteristics)
|
Location & Position
• Estoy en el hotel (location)
• El baño está allá (position)
• ¿Dónde está? (where is it?)
• Estamos aquí (we're here)
|
Time & Events
• Son las tres (it's 3:00)
• Es lunes (it's Monday)
• La fiesta es mañana (party is tomorrow)
• Es en mi casa (event location)
|
Feelings & States
• Estoy cansado (tired)
• Está enojado (angry)
• Estamos listos (ready)
• Está roto (broken)
|
Possession & Price
• Es mío (it's mine)
• Son 100 pesos (costs 100)
• Es de Juan (belongs to Juan)
• Es caro (expensive - always)
|
Temporary Conditions
• Está cerrado (closed now)
• Está frío (cold to touch)
• La comida está rica (food tastes good)
• Está lleno (full right now)
|
Common Phrases - Just Memorize
¿De dónde eres?
Where are you from?
↻
Origin = SER
Always eres/soy
¿Cómo estás?
How are you?
↻
Feeling = ESTAR
Never "cómo eres"
¿Qué hora es?
What time is it?
↻
¿Dónde está?
Where is it?
↻
Location = ESTAR
Never "dónde es"
Es bueno
It's good (quality)
↻
Inherent quality
Always good
Está bien
It's fine/okay
↻
When You're Stuck
The Emergency Rule: If you can point at it on a map or touch it = ESTAR. Everything else = SER.
• Can you point at the bathroom? → ¿Dónde ESTÁ el baño?
• Can you point at Mexican? → No, it's a concept → Soy mexicano
• Can you touch tired? → No, but you feel it → Estoy cansado
Need More Grammar Details?
Look, I keep it simple. But if you want the full grammar breakdown:
They'll explain all the exceptions. I just teach what works 80% of the time.
Stop Here:
Seriously, don't learn more rules. These patterns work. The weird exceptions? Nobody cares if you get them wrong. Move on to actually using Spanish.
Shortcuts That Actually Work
Real Mexican Spanish, not textbook Spanish
Textbooks teach you to conjugate perfectly. Real life? We take shortcuts. These are the patterns Mexicans actually use. Will your Spanish teacher hate these? Maybe. Will people understand you? Absolutely.
The "Just Point" Method
Universal pointer
Works for everything
A bit farther
Still pointing
Dos de estos
Two of these
↻
Ordering tacos
Point at menu
Point at example
Getting similar
I'll have same
Copy others
Algo así
Something like that
↻
Close enough
Flexible ordering
The "¿Cómo?" Trick
When You Don't Understand
Instead of "¿Qué?" (sounds rude), say "¿Cómo?" (softer, polite)
• "¿Cómo?" = "Sorry, what?"
• "¿Cómo dijo?" = "What did you say?" (formal)
• "¿Cómo dice?" = "What are you saying?" (confused)
This one word buys you thinking time and sounds polite.
Time Shortcuts
Ahorita
"Right now" (5min-2hrs)
↻
Mexican time!
Never trust it
Later today
Vague but works
Mañana temprano
Tomorrow morning
↻
Specific enough
People understand
Simple schedule
No specifics needed
Ya mero
Almost there/ready
↻
Mexican phrase
5-30 minutes
En la noche
At night/evening
↻
After 6pm
Flexible timing
Stop Overthinking - Common Mistakes Don't Matter
What really breaks communication (and what doesn't)
Look, you're going to mess up. Everyone does. But here's what tourists don't understand - most mistakes don't matter. People understand from context. Only a few mistakes actually cause problems. Focus on avoiding those.
Mistakes That ACTUALLY Matter (Fix These)
Estoy caliente
Tengo calor
↻
Says "I'm horny"
Use TENGO for temperature!
Estoy embarazada
Tengo vergüenza
↻
Says "I'm pregnant"
Not embarrassed!
Years vs buttholes
The ñ matters!
Mistakes That DON'T Matter (Stop Worrying)
El/La confusion
Gender mistakes
↻
People still understand
Context saves you
Por/Para mixing
Preposition errors
↻
Mexicans mix these too
No big deal
Wrong conjugation
Verb endings
↻
"Yo quere" vs "quiero"
Still understood
Accent marks
Missing tildes
↻
In speech? Invisible
Don't stress
The Reality Check
I've watched tourists communicate perfectly with:
• Wrong gender on every noun
• Present tense only (no past/future)
• "Yo + infinitive" for everything (Yo comer tacos)
Why? Because context is king. If you're at a taco stand saying "Yo querer dos tacos," guess what? You're getting two tacos.
Final Truth:
Perfect grammar with no confidence = nobody understands you. Bad grammar with confidence = everybody helps you. Choose confidence.
Where to Actually Practice (Without Fear)
Real places where mistakes are expected
You want to know where to practice? Not in language exchange apps. Not in classrooms. In real life, where Spanish is a tool, not a performance. Here's where people are patient and mistakes don't matter.
Practice Zones - Ranked by Patience Level
Hotel Front Desk
3am-7am shift
↻
We're bored!
Happy to chat
Taxi Drivers
Not Uber - real taxis
↻
Captive audience
Love teaching slang
Corner Stores
Not OXXO - family shops
↻
Same owner daily
Becomes friendly
Security Guards
Anywhere, anytime
↻
We're always bored
Ask for directions
Food Trucks
After rush hour
↻
3-5pm perfect
Slow period
Uber Drivers
Rate 5 stars first!
↻
Show rating immediately
They'll relax & help
The Security Guard Secret
Every building, mall, and parking lot has guards. We work 12-hour shifts. We're bored. Ask us anything - directions, restaurant recommendations, how to say something. We have time.
Opening Lines That Work
Disculpe, ¿me puede ayudar?
Can you help me?
↻
Universal opener
Always works
Estoy practicando español
I'm practicing Spanish
↻
Changes everything
Instant patience
¿Cómo se dice...?
How do you say...?
↻
Learn on spot
People love teaching
¿Habla despacio?
Speak slowly?
↻
They will!
No shame in asking
Late Night Wisdom:
3am at a hotel lobby, gas station, or 24-hour pharmacy? That's prime practice time. Staff is bored, no rush, plenty of patience. Some of my best Spanish teachers were insomniacs buying cigarettes at 4am.
Ready to Stop Overthinking?
"Look, joven - Spanish isn't a test, it's a tool. Learn the 20% that matters, use it with confidence, and stop worrying about the rest. Come practice with me. No grammar lectures, just real Spanish that works." - Javier
