The term Castilian Spanish can be used in English for the specific dialects of Spanish spoken in north and central Spain. Sometimes it is more loosely used to denote the Spanish spoken in all of Spain as compared to Spanish spoken in Latin America; however, there are several different dialects of Spanish as well as other official languages in Spain.
Now, the Castilian Spanish of Spain is as British English is for those in England. Just as Portuguese in Portugal is as for those of Portuguese from Brazil. The country of origin keeps its dialects and its own sounds intact. As for the explorers who brought their languages to the new world, the customs of the people and their own tribal languages had an affect to the languages brought by the explorers. So now, you have people from Latin America or the New World speaking different from those in Spain, England or Portugal.
So we wish to retain the original usage of this phrasebook relating to the whole regions of Spain where Castellano is spoken in its original form apart from the Spanish from Latin America. Particularly you shall notice all those 'th' sounds with the tongue sticking out between the teeth. Like for example the ci, ce, the d and the z get those 'th' sounds. The 'j' and the 'ge' and 'gi' gets guttural.
Pronunciation guide
This pronunciation usage is related to Castellano or the official language spoken in Spain. You will be understood if you travel from Latin America to Spain. There will be a few differences in sounds or words but you'll shall notice it here in this phrasebook. You shall notice the differences in sounds when it comes to Castilian Spanish.
Stress
Words that end in S, N or a vowel are stressed on the next to last syllable. For example:
estudiante (ehs-too-thee-AHN-teh),
perros (PER-rohs),
profesora (proh-feh-SOH-rah),
repitan (reh-PEE-tahn),
Words that end in all other consonants (not S or N) are stressed on the last syllable. For example:
borrador (bohr-rah-DOHR),
reloj (reh-LOHKH),
pared (pah-REHTH),
español (ehs-pah-NYOHL),
Words that do not obey the first two rules require an written accent mark on the stressed syllable. For example:
In Spanish, the vowels remain constant and it is the consonants that vary: Castilian Spanish-speakers use the "theta" sound for Ci, Ce, D and Z - it sounds like the "th" in the word "tooth". So in Madrid, the word zapatos sounds like `thah-PAH-tos'.
a
like 'a' in "father"
e
like 'e' in "pet" ( at times this sound may be long as the 'e' in "bled" )
i
like 'ee' in "speed"
o
like 'o' in "order"
u
like 'oo' in "goose
y
like 'y' in "simply" ( this letter by itself represents 'and')
Consonants
b
like 'b' in "boy"
ca
like 'ca' in "café"
ce
like 'the' in "there" [theh] /the tongue ought to be between both teeth/
ci
like 'the' in "thesis" [thee]
co
like 'co' in "cork" [koh]
cu
like 'coo' in "cook" [koo]
ch
like 'ch' in "church"
d
its more palatalized than the English 'd' at the beginning a word and between vowels and at the end of a word its pronounced as 'th' as in "this" and at times it becomes silent.
f
like 'f' in "fish"
ga
like 'ga' in "gargle" [gah]
ge, gi
have a guttural sound like the 'ch' in "loch" or the 'ck' in "block" [kheh,khee].
go
like 'go' in "going" [goh]
gu
like 'goo' in "good" [goo]
gua
like 'gua' in "Nicaragua" [gwah]
güe
like 'gwe' in "Gwen" [gweh]
gue
like 'ge' in "get" [geh]
gui
like 'gee' in "geek" [gee]
h
this letter is silent and its not pronounced
j
this sound is always guttural and a throaty sound like the 'ck' in "block" [kh]
k
like 'k' in "keep"
l
like 'l' in "lime"
ll
like 'y' in "yes"
m
like 'm' in "monkey"
n
like 'n' in "nice"
ñ
like 'ny' in "canyon"
p
like 'p' in "post"
que
like 'ke' in "kept" [keh]
qui
like 'kee' in "keep" [kee]
r
trilled
rr
strongly trilled
s
like 's' in "son"
t
like 't' in "tent"
v
like 'b' in "base"
w
only used in foreign words like Walter
x
like 's' in "saw"
y
by itself is like 'y' in "possibly" and 'y' in "yes"
¿Podría usted mostrarme en mi diccionario/libro de frases? (poh-DRYAH oos-TEHTH mohs-TRAHR-meh ehn mee deek-thyoh-NAH-ryoh/ LEE-broh theh frah-SEHS?)
Problems
Leave me alone.
Déjeme solo/la. (THEH-kheh-meh SOH-loh/lah)
Don't touch me!
¡No me tóque! (noh meh TOH-keh)
I'll call the police.
Llamaré la policía. (yah-mah-REH lah poh-lee-THYAH)
Police!
¡Policía! (poh-lee-THYAH)
Stop! Thief!
¡Párese! ¡Ladrón/na! (PAH-reh-seh lah-THROHN/nah)
I need your help.
Necesito su ayuda. (neh-theh-SEE-toh soo ah-YOO-thah)
It's an emergency.
Esto es una emergencia. (EHS-toh ehs OO-nah eh-mehr-KHEHN-thyah)
I'm lost.
Estoy perdido/dah. (ehs-TOY pehr-THEE-thoh/thah)
I lost my bag.
Perdí mi bolso. (pehr-THEE mee BOHL-soh)
I lost my wallet.
Perdí mi cartera/billetera. (pehr-THEE mee kahr-TEH-rah/bee-yeh-TEH-rah)
I'm sick.
Estoy enfermo/ma. (ehs-TOY ehn-FEHR-moh/mah)
I've been injured.
Estoy herido/da. (ehs-TOY eh-REE-thoh/thah)
I need a doctor.
Necesito a un doctor. (neh-theh-SEE-toh ah oon thohk-TOHR)
Can I use your phone?
¿Puedo usar su teléfono? (PWEH-thoh oo-SAHR soo teh-LEH-foh-noh)
Where are the toilets?
¿Dónde están los servicios? (THOHN-theh ehs-TAHN lohs sehr-VEE-thyohs)
At the Airport
Where is customs?
¿Dónde está aduanas? (THOHN-theh ehs-TAH ah-DWAH-nahs)
Where is passport control?
¿Dónde está el control de pasaportes? (THOHN-theh ehs-TAH ehl kohn-TROHL theh pah-sah-POHR-tehs)
Do you have anything to declare?
¿Tiene algo para declarar? (TYEH-neh AHL-goh PAH-rah theh-KLAH-rahr)
I have nothing to declare.
No tengo nada para declarar. (noh TEHN-goh NAH-dah PAH-rah theh-klah-RAHR)
I have something to declare.
Tengo algo para declarar. (TEHN-goh AHL-goh PAH-rah theh-klah-RAHR)
Where is the baggage claim area?
¿Dónde está el área para el reclamo de equipaje? (THOHN-theh ehs-TAH ehl AH-reh-ah PAH-rah ehl reh-KLAH-moh theh eh-KEE-pah-kheh)
Where are the international departures?
¿Dónde están las salidas internacionales? (THOHN-theh ehs-TAHN lahs sah-LEE-dahs een-tehr-nah-THYOH-nah-lehs)
Where are the arrivals?
¿Dónde están las llegadas? (THOHN-theh ehs-TAHN lahs yeh-GAH-thahs)
Where is gate____?
¿Dónde está la puerta____? (THOHN-theh ehs-TAH lah PWEHR-tah....)
Where is the information center?
¿Dónde está el centro de información? (THOHN-theh ehs-TAH ehl THEHN-troh theh een-fohr-mah-THYOHN)
Numbers
0
zero (THEH-roh)
1
uno/na (OO-noh/nah)
2
dos (thohs)
3
tres (trehs)
4
cuatro (KWAH-troh)
5
cinco (THEEN-koh)
6
seis (says)
7
siete (SYEH-teh)
8
ocho (OO-choh)
9
nueve (NWEH-beh)
10
diez (thyehth)
11
once (OHN-theh)
12
doce (DOH-theh)
13
trece (TREH-theh)
14
catorce (kah-TOHR-theh)
15
quince (KEEN-theh)
16
dieciséis (thyeh-thee-SAYS)
17
diecisiete (thyeh-thee-SYEH-teh)
18
dieciocho (thyeh-thee-OH-choh)
19
diecinueve (thyeh-thee-NWEH-beh)
20
veinte (BAYN-teh)
21
veintiuno (bayn-tee-OO-noh)
22
veintidós (bayn-tee-THOHS)
23
veintitrés (bayn-tee-TREHS)
30
treinta (TRAYN-tah)
40
cuarenta (kwah-REHN-tah)
50
cincuenta (theen-KWEHN-tah)
60
sesenta (seh-SEHN-tah)
70
setenta (seh-TEHN-tah)
80
ochenta (oh-CHEHN-tah)
90
noventa (noh-BEHN-tah)
100
cien (thyehn)
200
doscientos (thohs-THYEHN-tohs)
300
trescientos (trehs-THYEHN-tohs)
1000
mil/un mil (meel/oon meel)
2000
dos mil (thohs meel)
1,000,000
un millón (oon mee-YOHN)
1,000,000,000
mil millones (meel mee-YOH-nehs) in UK, mil millones (meel mee-YOH-nehs) in USA
1,000,000,000,000
un billón (oon bee-YOHN) in UK, un billón (oon bee-YOHN) in USA
number _____ (train, bus, etc.)
numero_____ (noo-MEH-roh)
half
mitad (mee-TAHTH)
less
menos (meh-NOHS)
more
más (MAHS)
Time
now
ahora (ah-OH-rah)
later
más tarde (MAHS TAHR-theh)
before
antes (ahn-TEHS)
morning
mañana (mah-NYAH-nah)
afternoon/evening
tarde (TAHR-theh)
night
noche (NOH-cheh)
day
día (THYAH)
dawn
alba/amanecer (AHL-bah/ah-mah-neh-THEHR)
sunset
puesta del sol (PWEHS-tah thehl sohl)
sunrise
salida del sol (sah-LEE-thah thehl sohl)
Clock time
one o'clock AM
a la una de la mañana. (ah lah OO-nah theh lah mah-NYAH-nah)
two o'clock AM
a las dos de la mañana. (ah lahs thohs theh lah mah-NYAH-nah)
at noon
en mediodía. (ehn meh-thyoh-THYAH)
one o'clock PM
a la una de la tarde. (ah lah OO-nah theh lah TAHR-theh)
two o'clock PM
a las dos de la tarde. (ah lahs thohs theh lah TAHR-theh)
at midnight
en medianoche (ehn meh-thyah-NOH-cheh)
Duration
How long shall it be?
¿Cuánto de largo será? (KWAHN-toh theh LAHR-goh seh-RAH?)
How long is the duration?
¿Cuánto de largo es la duración? (KWAHN-toh theh LAHR-goh ehs lah thoo-rah-THYOHN?)
Will I/Will we have to wait that long?
¿Tengo que/Nosotros(as) tenemos que esperar esto mucho tiempo? (TEHN-goh keh/noh-SOH-trohs(ahs) teh-NEH-mohs keh ehs-PEH-rahr MOO-choh TYEHM-poh?)
_____ minute(s)
_____minuto(os) (mee-NOO-toh(ohs))
_____ hour(s)
_____hora(as) (KHOH-rah(ahs))
_____ day(s)
_____día(as) (thyah(ahs))
_____ week(s)
_____semana(as) (seh-MAH-nah(ahs))
_____ month(s)
_____mes(ses) (mehs(sehs))
_____ year(s)
_____año(os) (AH-nyoh(ohs))
Seasons
winter
invierno (een-BYEHR-noh)
spring
primavera (pree-mah-BEH-rah)
summer
verano (beh-RAH-noh)
autumn
otoño (oh-TOH-nyoh)
Days
today
hoy (oy)
yesterday
ayer (ah-YEHR)
tomorrow
mañana (mah-NYAH-nah)
this week
esta semana (EHS-tah seh-MAH-nah)
last week
la semana pasada (lah seh-MAH-nah pah-SAH-thah)
next week
la próxima semana (lah PROHK-see-mah seh-MAH-mah)
Sunday
domingo (doh-MEEN-goh)
Monday
lunes (LOO-nehs)
Tuesday
martes (MAHR-tehs)
Wednesday
miércoles (MYEHR-koh-lehs)
Thursday
jueves (KHWEH-behs)
Friday
viernes (BYEHR-nehs)
Saturday
sábado (SAH-bah-doh)
Months
January
enero (eh-NEH-roh)
February
febrero (feh-BREH-roh)
March
marzo (MAHR-thoh)
April
abril (ah-BREEL)
May
mayo (MAH-yoh)
June
junio (KHOO-nyoh)
July
julio (KHOO-lyoh)
August
agosto (ah-GOHS-toh)
September
septiembre (sehp-TYEHM-breh)
October
octubre (ohk-TOO-breh)
November
noviembre (noh-BYEHM-breh)
December
diciembre (thee-THYEHM-breh)
Writing time and date
Spain uses the Western European Time (WET) which includes like most of Europe the 24 hour clock. So you'll find train and other public schedules in the 24 hour clock form eg. 13:00am/pm. When telling time in Spanish, it is expressed by Es la for 1:00 only. And Son las for 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 and so on.
