Camino King

Phrasebook

Spanish phrasebook for the Camino

The phrases we needed ourselves every day. For the hostel, the bar, the trail and the days when something goes wrong. Each with the English meaning and an easy pronunciation hint.

54 phrases you can practise before you go.

How to read the pronunciation. Capital letters mark the stressed syllable. J sounds like a soft h, ll like y, and ñ like ny. In Spain many lisp c and z into a soft th, as in thing, but a plain s is understood everywhere too.

Greetings and courtesy

The first words you use every single day. A greeting in Spanish opens every door on the way.

Buen Camino

Have a good walk. The pilgrim greeting everyone uses.

bwen ka-MEE-no

Hola

Hi.

OH-lah

Buenos días

Good morning.

BWE-nos DEE-as

Buenas tardes

Good afternoon.

BWE-nas TAR-des

Buenas noches

Good night, and good evening.

BWE-nas NO-ches

Gracias

Thank you.

GRAH-thyas

Muchas gracias

Thank you very much.

MOO-chas GRAH-thyas

De nada

You are welcome. It was nothing.

de NAH-da

Por favor

Please.

por fah-VOR

Perdón

Sorry. Excuse me.

per-DON

Adiós

Goodbye.

ah-DYOS

Hasta luego

See you later.

AS-ta LWE-go

¿Cómo estás?

How are you?

KO-mo es-TAS

Me llamo...

My name is...

me YA-mo

No hablo español

I do not speak Spanish.

no AH-blo es-pan-YOL

¿Hablas inglés?

Do you speak English?

AH-blas in-GLES

At the hostel

How to secure a bed, get your credencial stamped and find your way to the next albergue.

¿Hay camas libres?

Are there free beds?

eye KA-mas LEE-bres

Una cama, por favor

A bed, please.

OO-na KA-ma por fah-VOR

¿Cuánto cuesta?

How much is it?

KWAN-to KWES-ta

¿Dónde está el próximo albergue?

Where is the next hostel?

DON-de es-TA el PROK-see-mo al-BER-ge

¿Puede sellar mi credencial?

Can you stamp my pilgrim passport?

PWE-de se-YAR mi kre-den-THYAL

¿A qué hora cierra?

What time do you close?

a ke O-ra THYE-rra

¿Dónde está la ducha?

Where is the shower?

DON-de es-TA la DOO-cha

¿Dónde puedo lavar la ropa?

Where can I wash clothes?

DON-de PWE-do la-VAR la RO-pa

¿Tienen wifi?

Do you have wifi?

TYE-nen WEE-fee

¿Hay literas?

Are there bunk beds?

eye lee-TE-ras

Food and bar

Order the pilgrim menu, a cold draught beer and the bill without pointing at the menu.

El menú del peregrino, por favor

The pilgrim menu, please.

el me-NOO del pe-re-GREE-no

Una caña, por favor

A small draught beer, please.

OO-na KAN-ya por fah-VOR

Un café con leche

A coffee with milk.

oon ka-FE kon LE-che

Un vaso de agua

A glass of water.

oon VA-so de A-gwa

La cuenta, por favor

The bill, please.

la KWEN-ta por fah-VOR

¿Qué me recomienda?

What do you recommend?

ke me re-ko-MYEN-da

Un bocadillo de jamón

A ham sandwich.

oon bo-ka-DEE-yo de ha-MON

Para llevar

To take away.

PA-ra ye-VAR

Soy vegetariano

I am vegetarian. As a woman: soy vegetariana.

soy ve-he-ta-RYA-no

Sin gluten

Gluten free.

seen GLOO-ten

Un vino tinto

A glass of red wine.

oon VEE-no TEEN-to

On the trail

For when the yellow arrow is gone and you need to know how far is left and where the water is.

¿Por dónde está el camino?

Which way is the Camino?

por DON-de es-TA el ka-MEE-no

¿Cuántos kilómetros faltan?

How many kilometres are left?

KWAN-tos kee-LO-me-tros FAL-tan

¿Está lejos?

Is it far?

es-TA LE-hos

¿Es esta la ruta correcta?

Is this the right route?

es ES-ta la ROO-ta ko-RREK-ta

¿Dónde hay una fuente?

Where is a water fountain?

DON-de eye OO-na FWEN-te

¿Puedo llenar mi botella?

Can I fill my bottle?

PWE-do ye-NAR mi bo-TE-ya

Todo recto

Straight ahead.

TO-do REK-to

A la derecha

To the right.

a la de-RE-cha

A la izquierda

To the left.

a la ith-KYER-da

Emergencies

The phrases you hope you never need, but should be able to say quickly and clearly.

Necesito ayuda

I need help.

ne-the-SEE-to a-YOO-da

Es una emergencia

It is an emergency.

es OO-na e-mer-HEN-thya

Me duele el pie

My foot hurts.

me DWE-le el PYE

Tengo una ampolla

I have a blister.

TEN-go OO-na am-PO-ya

¿Dónde está la farmacia?

Where is the pharmacy?

DON-de es-TA la far-MA-thya

Necesito un médico

I need a doctor.

ne-the-SEE-to oon ME-dee-ko

Me he perdido

I am lost.

me e per-DEE-do

Me encuentro mal

I feel unwell.

me en-KWEN-tro mal

Take the words further

The phrases only really make sense out on the road. Here are the glossary and the guides where the Spanish turns into real days on the trail.

All the words The Camino glossary Pilgrim menu and tapas Food on the trail All about the Camino Camino de Santiago Pack light, walk far Camino packing list

Frequently asked questions about Spanish on the Camino

Do I need to speak Spanish to walk the Camino?
No. A great many people walk the whole way with almost no Spanish. But a few phrases make daily life easier and the encounters warmer. If you can say Buen Camino, gracias and por favor, you are already well on your way.
What is the single most important phrase to know?
Buen Camino. It means good way, and it is the greeting pilgrims and locals use to each other the whole way. After it come gracias, meaning thank you, and por favor, meaning please.
Do people really say gracias as grah-thyas?
In Spain many say grah-thyas with a soft lisping th on c and z, roughly like the th in the English word thing. But grah-syas is understood everywhere, so choose whichever you are most comfortable with. The important thing is that you try.
What are the most common words at the hostel?
An albergue is a hostel, a cama is a bed, and a sello is the stamp you get in your credencial. With the phrase ¿Hay camas libres? you ask whether there are free beds.
How do I order a pilgrim menu?
Say El menú del peregrino, por favor. It is the set three-course meal at a fixed price you find all along the route. If you want a small draught beer with it, that is una caña, por favor. See more about food on the trail.
What do I do if I need help?
Learn a few emergency phrases by heart before you go. Necesito ayuda means I need help, me duele el pie means my foot hurts, and ¿Dónde está la farmacia? asks where the pharmacy is. The Spanish emergency number is 112.