Ch 1 · Lesson 5Spanish · Chapter 1 · Lesson 5 · Grammar primer
Gracias, por favor, perdón: the courtesies
Thank you, please, sorry and the beginner's most useful sentence, : the words Spanish speakers notice when they are missing.
The short version
is the beginner's most useful sentence
, .
Why?Hide
Greetings and courtesies are fixed phrases: learn them whole, with each question and its answer as a pair. does the most work of all, because it asks for another go instead of leaving the other person guessing. Use for a small slip and keep for a real apology.
Courtesies
These are the words Spanish speakers notice when they are missing.
| Spanish | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| thank you | GRAH-thyas (Spain), GRAH-syas |
| thank you very much | when you mean it |
| you' welcome | literally of nothing |
| please | softens any request |
| sorry, excuse me | a bump, a small slip |
| I'm sorry | a real apology, bad news |
| I don't understand | slows the other person down |
| yes / no | has an accent |
A request with and without the softener:
, .- A coffee, please.. .- Thank you very much. You'welcome.
- , .
- .
The customer asks with por favor, says gracias on paying, and the baker answers de nada.
covers a small slip, such as stepping on a foot or squeezing past. is for something that matters, such as bad news.
, .- Sorry, madam..- I'm very sorry.
is quietly the most useful sentence a beginner owns: it asks for another go instead of leaving the other person guessing.
, .- Sorry, I don't understand.
The accent on is what separates yes from , if. The diacritic accent page has the other pairs like it.
, .- Yes, please., .- If you like, yes.
Going further: Greetings and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
Practise this lesson
10-question session
One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
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Lesson 5 of 17 in this chapter