The Spanish language, Español, has approximately 460 million native speakers around the world. Only Mandarin Chinese can claim a larger number. Spanish is relatively easy for English speakers to learn because the two languages share a common alphabet and both were influenced by Latin. Some words are similar and can be understood with a little context. But how much do you remember from your high-school Spanish class? Let’s find out right now—“inmediatamente”!
1: Do you know what an “examen” is?
An “examen” is a quiz. A “cuestionario” is a questionnaire. Now, let’s “empezar el examen,” or begin the quiz.
2: What is the meaning of “buenos días”?
“Buenos días” means “good morning” or “good day.” Depending on the time of day, you would want to say “buenas tardes” for “good afternoon” or “buenas noches” for “good night.”
3: Very important: How would you ask someone where the restroom is?
Now that you know how to phrase this very important question, let’s talk about the upside-down punctuation at the beginning of a question in Spanish. It simply signals that a question is coming, rather than a statement. This opening question mark, established in 1784 by the Spanish Royal Academy, is called a “signo de apertura de
interrogación.”
4: Do you know the meaning of “¿Cómo te llamas?”
“¿Cómo te llamas?” means “What’s your name?” You could respond, “Me llamo Frank,” “Soy Frank,” or “Mi nombre es Frank” (assuming that your name is Frank). Listen carefully to the question and the context, though, because “llama” can also refer to an actual four-legged llama or a flame in Spanish.
5: If your Spanish is limited, and you really need to speak with someone, how would you ask them if they speak English?
“¿Hablas inglés?” is an informal way to ask, “Do you speak English?” To strike a formal tone, say, “¿Habla inglés?”
6: What is the meaning of the phrase “Mucho gusto”?
“Mucho gusto” means “Nice to meet you.” “Con mucho gusto” means “with pleasure.” Go for the gusto!
7: Being polite is important, so how will you say “thank you” in Spanish?
“Gracias” is “thank you” in Spanish. In French, you would say “merci,” in Italian, “grazie,” or in German, “Danke.”
8: If your dress is yellow and purple, how would you describe it in Spanish?
Your yellow-and-purple dress is a “vestido amarillo y morado.” “Gris” is “grey,” “azul” is “blue,” anaranjado” is “orange,” “rosado” is “pink,” “blanco” is “white,” and “verde” is “green.”
9: In the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day, when Arnold Schwarzenegger says, “Hasta la vista, baby,” what does he mean?
“Hasta la vista” or “Hasta luego” simply means “See you later.” “Hasta mañana” means “See you tomorrow.”
10: How would you wish your friend “Happy Birthday” in Spanish?
“Feliz Cumpleaños” means “Happy Birthday.” “Cumpleaños” is a compound word, much like “birthday.” “Cumplir” means “to complete or reach,” and “años” means “years.”
11: Can you complete the sequence: “uno, dos, tres, ______, _____”?
The sequence “uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco” means “one, two, three, four, five.” Before you travel to a Spanish-speaking location, master all of your numbers in Spanish.
12: Back in 1999, Ricky Martin sang about “la vida loca.” What is “la vida loca”?
Ricky Martin sang about “la vida loca,” which translates to “the crazy life.” He continued, “Y te dolerá / Sí, de verdad te toca,” which means “And it will hurt / Yes, it really touches you.” You can improve your Spanish by listening to music or watching shows in Spanish, perhaps with subtitles.
13: What’s a polite thing to say if someone sneezes?
“¡Salud!” means “to your health.” This is similar to the German “gesundheit,” which has made its way into English. “¡Salud!” is also used as a toast, much like the English “Cheers!”
14: If someone says, “Estoy perdido,” what are they telling you?
“Estoy perdido” means “I’m lost.” Perdido Key is a 16-mile stretch of beach in the Florida Panhandle. Don’t get lost there!
15: What is the meaning of “Yo quiero un café”?
“Yo quiero un café” means “I want a cup of coffee.” Starting in the late ‘90s, Taco Bell had an ad campaign featuring the Taco Bell Chihuahua, a sweet dog who said, “¡Yo quiero Taco Bell!”
16: “¿Cuánto cuesta eso?” means what?
“¿Cuánto cuesta eso?” translates to “How much does it cost?” Of course, you will have to learn some Spanish words for numbers and money to understand the answer to this question!
17: If someone asks you in Spanish how you’re doing, what might you say as a positive response?
“Estoy estupendo” means “I am great.” On the other hand, “Estoy fatal” means “I am terrible.” Saying that you are “confundido” or “hambriento” means that you are “confused” or “hungry,” respectively.
18: Justin Bieber appears on a 2017 remix/reworking of Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s song called “Despacito.” What does “despacito” mean?
“Despacio” means “slowly,” and using the diminutive “-ito” makes it “extra slowly.” Diminutives can be used with adjectives and adverbs as well. For example, a “casita” is a little “casa”—or “house” in English.
19: Here’s a tough one, so just take a wild guess! What would you say to a person who is daydreaming?
If someone is daydreaming or being lazy, you could say, “Ponte las pilas,” which translates to “Put on your batteries.” It’s an expression sort of like “Get the lead out” or “Perk up.”
20: “¡Felicitaciones!” Why would we say that to you at this point?
“¡Felicitaciones!” means “congratulations!” That’s right—you’ve proven that you’re eager to learn. Spanish is an official language in 20 countries, so you’re on your way to becoming a savvy traveler. In descending order, the four countries with the most Spanish speakers are Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and the United States. Argentina and the U.S. are about even.
