Important Phrases
Greeting & Politeness
| German | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello / Hi | ¡Hola! | Ola |
| Good morning | Buenos días | Buenoh díah |
| Good evening | Buenas noches | Buenah nótscheh |
| How are you? | ¿Qué tal? / ¿Cómo estás? | Ke tal / Komo etáh |
| Good, thanks | Bien, gracias | Bien, gráßiah |
| Please | Por favor | Por fabór |
| Thank you | Gracias | Gráßiah |
| Excuse me | Perdón / Disculpe | Perdón / Dihkúlpe |
| Yes / No | Sí / No | ßi / No |
| Goodbye | ¡Chao! / ¡Hasta luego! | Tschau / Ahta luégo |
On the Go
| German | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Where is ...? | ¿Dónde está ...? |
| How much does it cost? | ¿Cuánto cuesta? |
| That's too expensive | Es muy caro |
| I would like ... | Quisiera ... |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favor |
| Do you have a room available? | ¿Tiene habitación disponible? |
| Where is the bus station? | ¿Dónde está la terminal de buses? |
| I need a taxi | Necesito un taxi |
| Can you help me? | ¿Puede ayudarme? |
| I don't speak Spanish | No hablo español |
Cuban Slang
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ¿Qué bolá? | What's up? (Cuban "What's up?") |
| Asere | Buddy, dude (informal) |
| Dale | Take care / Okay / Let's go |
| ¡Tremendo! | Awesome! Incredible! (positive) |
| Resolver | To solve/organize (THE Cuban life motto) |
| Yuma | Foreigner (not derogatory) |
| Guagua | Bus (in Cuba, not in Spain!) |
| Bodega | Small shop (state rationing store) |
| Paladar | Private restaurant |
| Jinete/Jinetera | Hustler/Agent (for tourists) |
| Cola | Queue (in front of shops—Cuba's national sport) |
| Botella | Hitchhiking |
| Fula | Dollar/Euro (colloquial) |
| Inventar | To invent/improvise (Cuban core competency) |
💡 Tipp
The phrase "¿Qué bolá, asere?" (What's up, buddy?) makes every Cuban laugh and immediately breaks the ice. Try it out—the reaction is worth gold!
