A2 phrase guide · Spain-focused
Everyday Spanish phrases you will use again
Once introductions feel familiar, Spanish shows up in the repeated small exchanges: checking whether someone is free, arranging a time, and saying what you usually do. These phrases belong to ongoing routines rather than first-contact survival basics.
Start with the situation
A useful phrase does more than translate.
Everyday conversation often relies on compact phrases whose meaning comes from context. ¿Te viene bien? asks whether a proposed time works for someone; it is not a literal question about coming. The present tense naturally describes habits, and a time word such as mañana can make a present form refer to a future arrangement.
In Spain, plans often include a specific time and a casual check that it suits the other person. Familiar forms below use tú; with usted, say le viene bien and tiene tiempo. Do not assume everyone follows the same schedule.
Hear the exchange
A short conversation, in context
Inés
¿Te viene bien tomar un café después de comer?
Does it work for you to have a coffee after lunch?
Pablo
Hoy no puedo, voy con retraso. ¿Mañana?
I can’t today, I’m running late. Tomorrow?
Inés
Sí, mañana me viene bien. Te escribo.
Yes, tomorrow works for me. I’ll message you.
Listen for the local detail
Usage notes for Spain
- Quedar is especially common in Spain for arranging to meet; other varieties may prefer verse or reunirse depending on context.
- Comida commonly means lunch in Spain, though it can also mean food or a meal generally. Actual meal times differ by person and region.
Look out for
Common mistakes, made clearer
Avoid
¿Te conviene a las seis? as the default translation of “does six work?”
Use / understand
¿Te viene bien a las seis?
Venir bien is an idiomatic way to ask whether a time suits someone.
Avoid
Estoy yendo al trabajo every time you mean “I go to work.”
Use / understand
Voy al trabajo / Suelo ir al trabajo.
Spanish uses the simple present for routines; the progressive is not required.
Avoid
Quedar means only “to remain.”
Use / understand
Quedar also means to arrange to meet in Spain.
Meaning changes with construction and context.
Five quick checks
Try it before you peek.
- 01
Ask a friend whether 7:30 works for them.
Reveal answer and explanation
¿Te viene bien a las siete y media?
Venir bien is a natural time-check with tú.
- 02
Say “I usually cook at home” using soler.
Reveal answer and explanation
Suelo cocinar en casa.
Soler + infinitive describes a regular habit.
- 03
Tell a colleague you cannot talk at this moment.
Reveal answer and explanation
Ahora mismo no puedo.
A simple present phrase is natural and clear.
- 04
Suggest meeting after work with a familiar person.
Reveal answer and explanation
¿Quedamos después del trabajo?
Quedamos is a common suggestion to meet in Spain.
- 05
Translate “I’m running ten minutes late.”
Reveal answer and explanation
Voy con diez minutos de retraso.
Ir con retraso is a natural way to report lateness.
Still wondering
Questions about everyday spanish phrases you will use again
Does quedar always mean to meet?
No. It can also mean remain, be left, or suit, among other meanings. In a plan such as ¿Quedamos el jueves?, it means arranging to meet.
Is “te viene bien” formal?
It is familiar because of te. For a formal singular addressee, use ¿Le viene bien…? The expression itself is suitable in ordinary conversation.
Keep the learning connected
Build the language around the phrase.
Vocabulary gives you options; grammar helps you choose the form that fits the person and the moment.