This document provides common phrases, etiquette, and safety tips for visitors to Spain. It includes phrases for hospitals, restaurants, dining etiquette, greetings, and directions. Hospital addresses and phone numbers are listed for emergencies. Restaurant etiquette covers dining times, acceptable table manners, and tipping. Safety tips advise using bank ATMs and avoiding suspicious individuals soliciting money on the streets to prevent theft.

1. Common Phrases & Etiquette
By: Franklyn,Marissa, Jasmine, Sarah,
Angela, & Elizabeth

2. HOSPITAL
Phrases:
● Where is the nearest hospital? -- ¿Dónde está el hospital más cercano?
● We need a doctor. -- Necesitamos a un médico.
● We need help. -- Necesitamos ayuda.
● Can you help us? -- ¿Puede ayudarnos?
● Where is the nearest police station? -- ¿Dónde está la estación de policía más cercana? or ¿Dónde
está la comisaría más cercana?
Hospital General Universitario
Address: Av. de les Tres Creus, 2, 46014 València, Valencia, Spain
Phone:+34 963 13 18 00
Hospital Sant Joan de Déu - Barcelona
Passeig Sant Joan de Déu, 2, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
+34 932 53 21 00 (This one is open 24/7)

3. COMMON PHRASES/QUESTIONS
How much is this?- Cuanto cuesta?
Sorry- Perdon or los siento
Thank you- Gracias or Muchas gracias
You’re welcome- De nada
Leave me alone- Dejeme en paz por favor
HELP- Ayudame
Fire- Fuego
STOP- Alto
Call the Police- Llame a la policia
I am looking for- Ando buscando
I am lost- Estoy perdido
I will be right back- Regreso en un momentito
This/That. Eso/Ese Here/ There-. Aqui/Alli
Me/ you. yo / tu. Him/Her.- El/ Ella
I want a.. Quiero un…
without- sin With-con
Same to you- Igualmente
I am from- yo soy de
what is your name? Cómo te llamas?
What time is it? Qué hora es?
How much is that? Cuánto es?
What is this?Qué es estos?
Can you repeat that, please?Me lo repite, por favor?
Do you speak english?Hablas inglés?
Can you help me, please?Puedes ayudarme, por favor
how are you?-¿Cómo está? (coh moh es tah) is “
Directions:
Where is-¿dónde está?-
Where is a restaurant? – ¿Dónde está un
restaurante?
A train? – ¿Un tren? Train Station- la estacion del
tren
The street … ? – ¿La calle … ?
A bank? – ¿Un banco?
Where is the bathroom? – ¿Dónde está el baño?
(Understanding their directions)
Right – A la derecha ( a lah day ray chah)
Left – A la izquierda (ah lah eez kee ayr dah)
Straight ahead – Derecho (Day ray choh)
At the corner – En la esquina (a lah ays kee nah)
In one, two, three, four blocks – A una cuadra, a
dos, tres, cuatro cuadras

4. DINING OUT
● Monetary Unit: Euro (€)
● Most restaurants close one day a week, usually
Sunday or Monday.
Etiquette
● Always keep your hands visible when eating. Keep
your wrists resting on the edge of the table.
● Use utensils to eat most food. Even fruit is eaten with a
knife and fork.
● If you have not finished eating, cross your knife and
fork on your plate with the fork over the knife, OR lay
your cutlery down on either side of the plate.
● Indicate you have finished eating by laying your knife
and fork parallel on your plate, tines facing up, with
the handles facing to the right.
● In informal restaurants, you may be required to share
a table.
● To get your check, the universal gesture is pretending
as if you're signing off on a check (la cuenta).
● In Spanish restaurants, a gratuity is usually added to
the bill. If not, some say a few coins are sufficient while
others say 5% is the norm.
● If you want a menu in a restaurant, ask for la carta;
menú refers only to the fixed-price meal.
Meals (also snacks)/Times to eat
● Almost every restaurant serves a weekday, fixed-price
lunchtime meal, the menú del día, generally three
courses including wine for €8–15, occasionally even
cheaper, depending on where you are in Spain.
● Spaniards generally eat very late, with lunch served
from around 1pm (you’ll be the first person there at
this time) until 4pm, and dinner from 8.30pm or 9pm to
midnight. Obviously, rural areas are slightly earlier to
dine, but making a dinner reservation for 10.30pm or
even later is considered perfectly normal in many
cities in Spain
● Tapas – the little portions of food that traditionally used
to be served up free with a drink in a bar. They will
often be laid out on the counter, so you can see
what’s available, or there might be a blackboard
menu. Tapas are usually around €1.50–4 a portion.
Raciones (around €6–12) are simply bigger plates of
tapas, perfect for sharing or enough for a meal.
● In bars and so-called cafeterías, meals often come in
the form of a plato combinado – literally a combined
dish. This will generally cost in the region of €5–9.
● Bread is usually served on your meal plate, not in a
separate dish, and does not come with butter.
● breakfast (desayuno); lunch (almuerzo); dinner
(cena); dessert (postre)
● Snacks: cakes and pastries (bollos or pasteles);
croissants and toast (tostadas); or crusty sandwiches
(bocadillos) with a choice of fillings (tortilla)
Places to eat
● cake shops (pastelerías or confiterías); local bakery
(panadería); ice-cream parlours (heladerías);
restaurant (restaurante)

5. ● Tabernas are family-run restaurants. Marisquerias serve
only seafood. Asadors usually serve cooked meats.
● tascas, bodegas and tabernas (kinds of taverns) and
cervecerías (beer-houses); bar (bar); winery (bodega)
Drinks
● Although you can drink the water (agua) almost
everywhere, it tastes revolting in some cities and
coastal areas – inexpensive agua mineral comes
either sparkling (con gas) or still (sin gas).
● Soda (refresco). Local soft drinks include granizado
(crushed-ice).
● Café (coffee); espresso (café solo); for a large cup of
weaker, black coffee, ask for an americano. A café
cortado is a café solo with a drop of milk; a café con
leche is made with lots of hot milk. Coffee is also
frequently mixed with brandy (brandy), cognac
(coñac) or whisky (whisky), all such concoctions being
called carajillo. Iced coffee (café con hielo).
● Spaniards usually drink té (tea) black. Herbal teas
(infusions) are widely available, like manzanilla
(camomile), poleo (mint tea) and hierba luisa (lemon
verbena).
● Horchata (a milky drink made from tiger nuts or
almonds) available from milk bars (horchaterías);
Chocolate (hot chocolate) is a popular breakfast
drink
● wine (vino); classic wine is sherry (vino de jerez); beer
(cerveza); red wine (vino tinto); white wine (vino
blanco); glass of wine (vaso de vino)
Phrases
● I would like a/the... -- Me gustaría que un(una)/el(la)...
● I would like to have a/the… -- Me gustaría tener
un(una)/el(la)...
● Can I have a/the... -- ¿Puedo tener un(una)/el(la)... ?
● I want a/the... -- Quiero un(una)/el(la)...
● Where can we sit? -- ¿Dónde podemos sentarnos?
● Can I have the menu? -- ¿Puedo tener el menú?
● Can I have the la carta menu? -- ¿Puedo tener el
menú a la carta?
● We need a table (tables) for (number). -- Necesitamos
una mesa (mesas) para (número).
● There are (number) people in our group. -- Hay
(número) personas en nuestro grupo.
● We have (number) people in our group. -- Tenemos
(número) personas en nuestro grupo.
● Do we wait to be seated? -- ¿Esperamos estar
sentado?
● Please wait to be seated. -- Por favor, espere para
sentarse.
● What do you recommend to eat/to drink? -- ¿Qué
recomienda usted para comer/beber?
● What are the specials? -- ¿Cuáles son los especiales?
● What is the meal of the day? -- ¿Cuál es la comida del
día?
● What drinks do you have? -- ¿Qué bebidas tienes?
● Can I have the bill? -- ¿Puedo tener la cuenta?
● I had the ... to eat. -- Tuve el/la... para comer.
● I had a ... to drink. -- Tuve un/una ... para beber.
● To eat (comer); to drink (beber)

6. DO’S AND DON’TS …..
Body Language
● Never touch, hug or back slap a Spaniard you do not
know well, unless a friendly Spaniard touches you first.
● Generally, Spaniards stand very close when talking.
● Spaniards speak a lot with their hands. Never mimic
them.
Corporate Culture
● Spaniards do not take punctuality for business
meetings seriously, but expect that you will be on time;
call with an explanation if you are delayed.
● Spain is not a meeting culture. Meetings are to
communicate instructions or to save time.
● Spaniards will want to spend time getting to know you
and establishing chemistry before doing business.
Personal qualities are valued over technical ability,
professionalism or competence.
● Typically, Spanish is the language of business, but most
large companies conduct business in English and
Spanish. You cannot expect English to be widely
spoken. Check ahead to determine if an interpreter is
needed.
● Spaniards' lack of trust in institutions produces a
constant atmosphere of crisis and emergency.
● Spaniards like making decisions on their own. Do not
impose a decision in direct language. It could be
humiliating to your associates.
● The organizational chart is social, not functional. The
third or fourth level down may be more powerful than
those at the top.
Dining and Entertainment
● It is acceptable and common to be late by 30
minutes in southern Spain and 15 minutes in northern
Spain for social meetings. Never be late for a bullfight.
● Attempt to give a toast in Spanish. Be brief when
toasting. It is acceptable for women to give toasts.
● Tip everyone for everything.
● Spaniards don't waste food. It is better to decline food
rather than leave it on your plate.
Dress
● Appearance is extremely important to Spaniards. They
dress elegantly, even for casual occasions.
● Dress conservatively. Avoid bright or flashy colors.
● Shoes are the most important element of dress.
Shabby looking shoes can ruin a very nice outfit.
● For business, men should wear jackets and ties, even
in warm weather. If the senior person takes his/her
jacket off during a meeting, you may do so, too.
● Women should wear dresses, blouses and skirts.
Gifts
● When invited to someone's home, always bring a
small, wrapped gift for the hostess.
● Open a gift immediately upon receiving it in the
presence of the host.
● Give: pastries, cakes, chocolates, flowers (red roses
connote passion, yellow roses infidelity; give an odd
number of flowers).

7. • Do not give: chrysanthemums, dahlias or 13 flowers
(unlucky number).
• Gifts are normally not exchanged at business
meetings, but small gifts may be appropriate at the
successful conclusion of negotiations. Do not give a
gift at the first meeting.
• Do not give a gift until meetings are finished, and then
give only a token gift. Be careful not to imply a bribe.
• Give: desk items, books, art, music.
Helpful Hints
• Expect to be interrupted when speaking.
• Be patient. Nothing is done in a hurry. Spanish
trademarks are procrastination and delay.
Especially for Women
• Be aware of eye contact. Returning a man's gaze
may be interpreted as flirting or a show of interest.
• Do not dine alone in a restaurant or bar at night.
However, it is acceptable to do so at lunch.
• It is acceptable for a visiting businesswoman to invite
a businessman to dinner. However, realize it is very
difficult for women to pay for a man's meal. Spanish
men expect to pay. Speak to the maitre d' or waiter in
advance if you wish to pay.
• Shake hands with everyone present--men, women and
children--at a business or social meeting. Shake hands
again when leaving.
• Men may embrace each other when meeting (friends
and family only).
• Women may kiss each other on the cheek and
embrace.
• Never touch, hug or back slap a Spaniard you do not
know well, unless a friendly Spaniard touches you first.
• Generally, Spaniards stand very close when talking.
• Spaniards speak a lot with their hands. Never mimic
them.
• “Buenos días” or “Buenas tardes” are very common
greetings in Spanish, they are a good way to show
respect, even when you are not having a
conversation with the other person
• When shaking hands always use a firm handshake.
• Face the person you are greeting, speak clearly,
stand up (do not slouch-need to have good posture).
Greeting a Friend
• Hola (Hello)
• ¿Qué tal? (Hello, how are things?)
• ¿Cómo estás? (Hello, how are you?)
• ¿Qué haces? What are you doing?
• ¿Qué hay? (hello, what’s up?)
• ¿Cómo te va? How’s it going?
• Buenos días (good morning)
• Buenas tardes (good afternoon)
D&D Cont. How to Greet

8. (good evening/good night)-Buenas noches Buenas / muy
buenas (a shortened version of the above three greetings,
suitable anytime more informal, suitable anytime)
(Well, thanks. / Very well.) Bien, gracias. / Muy bien
(As always.) -Como siempre.
Okay, so-so. Más o menos.
Bad-Mal..
All good, great.Todo bien.
Nothing. Nada.
And you? Y tú? (A common follow-up question)
Formal Greeting
In formal situations, with strangers, more senior persons, we
use “usted” instead of “tú”, and third person pronouns and
verbs to show respect.
Cómo está usted?
Cómo le va?
Qué hace?
Meeting Someone for the first time
Mucho gusto. (Nice to meet you, often said while shaking
hands and as an alternative to saying “encantado” if the
other person says it first)
Encantado. / Encantado de conocerle. (How do you do. /
Pleased to meet you)
● Emergency number in Spain is 112. It works from any
phone
● Spain is one of the safest European countries to visit.
There is little serious crime. A visitor to Spain should
know that there is some pickpocket theft in the metros
of the big cities and in crowded places that are
frequented by tourists.
● At night you should not walk on a street where you are
the only one. It is safe when there are many others on
the street.
● Use ATM machines in a bank and not the ones on
sidewalks. This is to prevent youngsters from rushing to
you in a group and grabbing the money as it comes
out of the machine. Also some ATM machines on the
street may have had their keyboards tampered with
and will transmit your card number and code to
someone who will try to empty your account. This is
called card skimming.
● Avoid women offering you a flower or rosemary. These
women are Romany gypsies. They will want some
money if you accept. Many are expert pickpockets.
● Avoid young women who carry clipboards and ask for
signatures for a good cause. They work in groups and
while one is explaining something to you, the other
may try to pick your pockets.
● If you’re going to have a purse make sure that you
wear a Crossbody purse, it’s safer.
Greetings cont. Safety Tips