Kilo Lingo
Spanish grammar Part of Chapter 3

CEFR A1

5 min read

Test yourself (24 questions)

Spanish Filler Words: bueno, pues, vale, o sea and more

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 21 October 2026

Spoken Spanish is held together by small words that carry no facts: , , , . They start an answer, buy a second to think, soften a no and react to news. Every one of them is easy, and knowing them is the difference between hearing a wall of sound and hearing a conversation.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

0/3

Which word fits the situation?

  1. You give your reason for saying no: no puedo, tengo que trabajar.

  2. You call your friend over: , ¿tienes un momento?

  3. Someone asks the time and you look at your watch: ... son las ocho.

  • . - Well, I don't know.

The whole set on one screen

Each word does one of five jobs. Learn them by job, not as a list:

JobWordsExample
Starting, stalling, , , ... .
Getting attention, , ¿ ?
Explaining, , .
Reacting, , , ¡! ¿ ?
Checking in¿?, ¿?, ¿? , ¿?

None of them changes the facts of the sentence. Take them out and the sentence still means the same; it just sounds like a robot said it.

Starting and stalling: bueno, pues, a ver, eh

These open a reply or buy time while you think.

WordJobExample
, right: accepting, moving on, . OK, let's go.
well: the start of an answer . Well, I don't know.
let's see, let me think... . Let's see... it's eight.
um, er... . Um... I can't remember.

and often come together, in either order:

  • , . - Right, well, see you tomorrow.
  • , . - Well then, see you tomorrow.

In Spain wraps a conversation up: , ., right then, see you.

also means then after a condition or a complaint:

  • ¿ ? . - You don't want to come? Then don't.

To fill a pause, Latin Americans say (literally this), and Spaniards or :

  • ... . - Um... I don't know.
  • ... . - Er... I can't remember.

Getting attention: oye and mira

(literally hear!) calls someone over or opens a new subject. (literally look!) introduces an explanation or a point you want to make.

  • , ¿ ? - Hey, have you got a minute?
  • , . - Look, the thing is I haven't got time.

Both are commands, so with someone you call they change their ending:

tú (a friend)usted (polite)What do the colours mean?
Friend (tú)Polite (usted)English
hey, listen
look
  • , ¿ ? - Excuse me, have you got the time?

From most polite to bluntest, for catching a stranger's attention:

PoliteBlunt
  1. Perdone, disculpe
  2. Oiga
  3. Oye
  4. ¡Eh!

or (excuse me) is safe with anyone; in much of Latin America can sound brusque, so is the default there. A bare ¡! is what you shout at someone walking off with your bag.

Explaining: es que, o sea, entonces

WordJobExample
the thing is: a reason or excuse . The thing is, I can't.
I mean: saying it again , , . It's dear, I mean really dear.
so: drawing the conclusion, ¿ ? So, are you coming or not?

is a polite way to say no. A bare . sounds curt; . sounds like you have a reason, even before you give it.

can also pull out the conclusion the other person is avoiding:

  • , . - So you' not coming, then.

(the truth is) opens an honest answer, often an awkward one:

  • . - To be honest, I don't like it.

Reacting: vale, claro, ya, vaya, hombre, ay, uy

WordMeansExample
(Spain)¿ ? . At eight? OK.
of course, sure¿ ? . Will you help me? Sure.
I know; I see . , . It's late. I know, I know.
wow, oh dear¡! ¿ ? Wow! Really?
come on, of course¡, ! Well, of course!
ow, oh¡, ! Oh, what a shame!
oops, whoa¡, ! Oops, sorry!

comes from (to go) and means man, but nobody hears either meaning in a reaction. is said to women too, mostly in Spain but also in Mexico and Colombia: it is a sound of mild protest or warm agreement, not a form of address.

said twice, , ., can mean yes, I know, stop telling me. Watch the tone.

Checking in: ¿no?, ¿sabes?, ¿eh?

A word on the end checks the listener agrees, or is still following:

  • , ¿? - You' coming tomorrow, aren't you?
  • , ¿? - It's hard, you know?
  • , ¿? - See you tomorrow, ?
  • , ¿? - I'll call you later, ?

¿? works everywhere; ¿? is mostly Spain. ¿?, right?, is a little more careful and fine with anyone.

Spain or Latin America?

Most of these are used everywhere. A few mark where the speaker is from:

WordWhereExample
Spain, . OK, see you.
Spain, . Come on, let's go.
Latin America... . Um... I don't know.
¿?, Uruguay , ¿? That's how it is, see?
¿?Mexico, on the phone¿? Hello?

In Mexico ¿? is how you answer the phone; Spain says ¿? or ¿?. In Spain also says goodbye: , ., right, see you.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
, . .a hesitant well... is ; is right, moving on
um......, ... or ...an English um sounds foreign
, ..., ...a stranger you call usted gets

What to do next

  1. Answer three questions today starting with or .
  2. Turn down one invitation with .
  3. Then practise in the Spanish course. , , and are in informal Spanish.

Practise: test yourself

Pick the right one

0/5

Which word fits the situation?

  1. You give your reason for saying no: no puedo, tengo que trabajar.

  2. You call your friend over: , ¿tienes un momento?

  3. Someone asks the time and you look at your watch: ... son las ocho.

  4. You say it again, more strongly: Es caro, , carísimo.

  5. Bad news: your friend has lost his job. , lo siento.

Sort into groups

0/8

What job does each word do?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Spot the mistake

0/2

Tap the word that is wrong for the person you're talking to.

Complete the story

0/4

Choose the word for each gap.

Ana says no

¿Vienes esta noche? no puedo, tengo que trabajar. , es una pena. , ¿y mañana? , mañana sí.

Gap 1 of 4

Matching

0/5

Match each word to its English.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common Spanish filler words?
, , , , , , , and cover most of what you will hear. and open an answer, buys a second to think, introduces an excuse, and means I mean. () is mostly Spain; Latin Americans fill a pause with , Spaniards with or .
What does in Spanish?
I mean, or in other words. It rephrases what you just said, often more bluntly: , , ., it's dear, I mean really dear. It can also pull out the conclusion: , ., so you' not coming, then. Some speakers lean on it constantly, the way English speakers lean on like.
What does in Spanish?
At the start of a reply it means well: ., well, I don't know. It also means then after a condition or a complaint: ¿ ? ., you don't want to come? Then don't. In conversation it almost never means because, which is .
What is the difference between and ?
Both get attention, but (hey, listen) opens a new subject or calls someone over: , ¿ ? (look) introduces an explanation or a point: , . With someone you call they become and .
Do Latin Americans say ?
Not much. for is typical of Spain; across Latin America people say , or instead. To fill a pause, Latin Americans say and Spaniards or . Speakers on both sides of the Atlantic recognise each other's fillers, so none of these will cause trouble.