B1 · Small talk, invitations, and getting out of plans
Meeting people
Travelling alone means the same five conversations over and over. These are the phrases that make them go somewhere, plus the ones for leaving politely when they do not.
Practise these
Opening
¿De dónde eres?
Where are you from?
¿De dónde sos?Argentina
Where are you from? (voseo)
Argentina, Uruguay and parts of Bolivia and Colombia use vos. Sos, tenés, querés, podés.
¿Cuánto tiempo llevas viajando?
How long have you been travelling?
Llevar plus a length of time plus a gerund. There is no perfect tense in this sentence.
¿Y qué tal te ha parecido?
And what did you make of it?
Un gusto.
Nice to meet you.
Shorter and more natural than mucho gusto once you are past the first minute.
Keeping it going
¿Qué me recomiendas por acá?
What would you recommend around here?
The single most useful question you can ask a local.
¿Vale la pena?
Is it worth it?
Valer la pena: to be worth the trouble.
¿Se puede llegar caminando?
Can you walk there?
¿Es seguro de noche?
Is it safe at night?
Ask this rather than guessing. People answer honestly.
Justo iba para allá.
I was just heading there.
Justo means just now, exactly then. Very common.
Invitations
¿Te provoca un café?Peru
Fancy a coffee?
Provocar for wanting something is Peruvian and Venezuelan. Elsewhere: ¿te apetece? or ¿quieres?
¿Vamos y vemos?
Shall we go and see how it goes?
Dale, nos vemos allá.
Sure, see you there.
Argentina
¿A qué hora quedamos?
What time shall we meet?
Saying no without closing the door
Otro día será.
Another time, then.
The standard soft no. Nobody takes offence.
Estoy medio cansado, mejor mañana.
I'm a bit tired, better tomorrow.
Medio as an adverb means sort of, a bit. It does not change form: medio cansada too.
Te aviso.
I'll let you know.
Sometimes it means exactly that. Often it means no. Tone tells you which.
Gracias, pero paso.
Thanks, but I'll pass.
18 expressions in this pack