Meeting the family in Spanish
Start with Mucho gusto (nice to meet you) and usted with parents and grandparents until they tell you otherwise. Compliment the food (¡Qué rico está todo!), offer to help (¿Le ayudo con algo?), and don't be shy about ¿Me lo puede repetir más despacio? Effort is what people remember, not grammar.
Capitals mark the stressed syllable. Spanish vowels are short and clean: a as in father, e as in bet, i as in machine, o as in more, u as in rule.
Arriving and greeting
- Mucho gusto.
- Nice to meet you. · Literally “Much pleasure.”
- Works everywhere, for anyone. The reply is often el gusto es mío (the pleasure's mine).
- Encantado. · Encantada.
- Lovely to meet you. · Literally “Enchanted.”
- The ending matches you, the speaker: a man says encantado, a woman encantada.
- Gracias por recibirme.
- Thank you for having me.
- Me han hablado mucho de ustedes.
- I've heard so much about you all.
- Ustedes works everywhere. In Spain, family will usually use vosotros among themselves.
- ¿Cómo está usted?
- How are you?
- Usted is the respectful form. Use it with parents and grandparents until they invite you to use tú.
Greetings are physical. In Spain, expect two kisses on the cheek, right cheek first. In Mexico, one kiss on the right cheek is usual between women and between men and women, and men often shake hands or hug. Follow their lead.
At the table
- ¡Qué rico está todo!
- Everything is delicious! · Literally “How rich everything is!”
- Rico means tasty in Latin America. In Spain, ¡Está todo buenísimo!
- ¿Le ayudo con algo?
- Can I help you with anything?
- Offer, even if you'll be told to sit down. Being told to sit down is part of it.
- Sí, un poquito más, gracias.
- Yes, a little more, thanks.
- Saying yes to seconds is a compliment.
- Ya estoy lleno. · Ya estoy llena.
- I'm full.
- Matches the speaker again. Add ¡pero estaba buenísimo! (but it was delicious).
- Con permiso.
- Excuse me. · Literally “With permission.”
- When you leave the table, pass in front of someone or take the last of something. Especially important in Mexico.
When you don't understand
- Estoy aprendiendo español.
- I'm learning Spanish.
- Say it early. People slow down and become your best teachers.
- ¿Me lo puede repetir más despacio?
- Could you say that again, more slowly?
- With tú: ¿Me lo repites más despacio?
- ¿Cómo se dice…?
- How do you say…?
- ¿Qué significa…?
- What does … mean?
What you'll hear
- Estás en tu casa.
- Make yourself at home. · Literally “You're in your house.”
- Háblame de tú. · Tutéame.
- You don't need to be so formal with me. · Literally “Speak to me with tú.”
- The invitation to drop usted. Háblame de tú is common in Mexico, tutéame in Spain.
- ¡Buen provecho! · ¡Provecho!
- Enjoy your meal! · Literally “Good benefit!”
- Said to people eating, even strangers in a restaurant in Mexico. Reply gracias.
- ¿Gustas?
- Would you like some? · Literally “Do you like?”
- Mexico: offering you what they're eating. No, gracias, muy amable if not.
Leaving
- Muchas gracias por todo.
- Thank you so much for everything.
- Ya me voy.
- I'm heading off now. · Literally “Already I go.”
- Expect it to take a while: goodbyes are long, and leaving quickly can seem cold.
Questions
Should I use tú or usted with my partner's parents?
Start with usted, especially with parents and grandparents, and switch when they say háblame de tú or tutéame. In Spain families often move to tú quickly; in Mexico and much of Latin America usted can last longer, and with grandparents sometimes for good.
What if I make mistakes?
You will, and it won't matter. To most families, someone learning their language for them is the compliment. Saying estoy aprendiendo early sets the tone.
Keep going
- Ordering a coffee in SpanishHow to order a coffee in Spanish without freezing: what to say in Spain and in Mexico, what the barista will ask you, the names of the coffees, and how to pay. With pronunciation.
- Numbers in SpanishSpanish numbers from 0 to a million, with the rules that trip people up (veintiún, cien or ciento, quinientos), plus dates, telling the time, prices, phone numbers and ordinals. Free, no sign-up.
- How long does it really take to learn Spanish?Realistic numbers for how long it takes an English speaker to learn Spanish, level by level, from the Foreign Service Institute and CEFR estimates, and what actually makes the hours count.