Spanish for Plebs

Over 500 million people speak Spanish, so you’re basically joining a very large, friendly club. More than 20 countries use Spanish as their native language:

With simple pronunciation and grammar that won’t break your brain, it’s one of the easiest languages for English speakers to pick up. Plus, learning Spanish lets you discover all the quirky sayings and accents like ordering a “guagua” in one place means a bus, but in another, you might end up with a baby! 👀 It's no coincidence that El Salvadors native Bitcoin Wallet is called Chivo – it means How cool! in Salvadorian Slang. Though, is it a coincidence that El Salvador has a land area of 21k km²?

I created this Spanish for Plebs cheat sheet, to be able to make a warmhearted first impression. Travels are so much better with a little joke, a friendly greeting and a smile on everyone's face. Here is my selection of simple, charming and funny Spanish conversation starters for plebs:

Cheat Sheet

Feel free to download and share 🔥

Pronunciation

More Phrases

Basics

• Hello, what a pleasure to see you!
  Hola, qué gusto verte!
• A pleasure, I'm [your name].
  Un placer, soy [tu nombre].
• Allow me to introduce myself: [your name].
  Me presento: [tu nombre].
• Can you repeat?
  ¿Puede repetir?
• Long time, no see.
  Cuánto tiempo sin vernos.

Food & Drinks

• This please. (point to what you want) That's all.
  Esto, por favor. Es todo.
• Your best-selling meal/drink please.
  Su comida/bebida más vendida, por favor.
• The same for me.
  Lo mismo para mí.
• A table for two/three/four/five/six.
  Una mesa para dos/tres/cuatro/cinco/seis.
• Without sugar.
  Sin azúcar.
• I raise my glass to you!
  ¡Levanto mi copa por ti!

El Salvadorian Slang

• How cool!
  ¡Qué chivo!
• Damn!
  ¡Puchica!
• Dumbass 🔥
  Pendejo
• Money
  Pisto
• Totally (agreeing)
  Cabal
• Bye
  Salu

Bitcoin

• Ready to change the world with Bitcoin… or just eat pupusas?
  ¿Listo para cambiar el mundo con Bitcoin… o solo para comer pupusas?
• How is the Bitcoin revolution going?
  ¿Cómo va la revolución de Bitcoin?
• We Are All Satoshi.
  Todos somos Satoshi.
• Holy Satoshi! (Oh my god for Bitcoiners)
  Santo Satoshi!

Have fun and smile

• You have such a charming smile… I forgot how to speak Spanish.
  Tienes una sonrisa tan encantadora… que olvidé cómo hablar español.
• I hope we don't need to use sign language.
  Espero que no tengamos que usar lenguaje de señas.
• How is it going, boss?
  ¿Cómo va, jefe?
• I like big oranges.
  Me gustan las naranjas grandes.

Adventures

• The views here are breathtaking!
  ¡Las vistas aquí son impresionantes!
• For the dogs
  Para los perros

Travel Tips for El Salvador

• Know basic Spanish phrases. English is not widely spoken.
• Bring tissues and nasal spray. You are likely leaving with a cold, if you are not used to humid heat and ice cold ACs.
• Drink bottled water. Tap water contains chlorine.
• Bring a U.S. outlet adapter. Type A or B with two flat parallel pins.
• Even locals use sunscreen, if they are out all day.
• Have some cash in small USD bills. Although Bitcoin is legal tender, many merchants are not yet setup to accept it easily. Especially small street vendors.
• Download offline maps. Cellular coverage can be spotty in remote areas.
• Bring insect repellent to protect against mosquito bites, if needed.
• Stay aware of your surroundings. Even if the security has improved dramatically, and the special police force Politur is seen everywhere in tourist areas, you should not play with your luck.

San Salvador: The Capital

• There is lot's of traffic. Use Uber to commute in the city. It is only a few bucks.
• Take a Walking Tour via GuruWalk starting at Parque Cuscatlán.
• Visit Plaza Libertad and the new National Library of El Salvador, which Salvadorians are proud of.

El Zonte: Bitcoin Beach

• Large right rolling waves make this a world-class surf spot. Watch, body surf or try it yourself with a board and a local teacher.
• Bitcoin Beach bars like Olas Permanentes serve delicious food with a great view.
• Living at the beach is rather costly. If you are looking for a great place to stay for Bitcoiners, visit 4 Amigos El Zonte.

Berlín: Grassroots Bitcoin Community

• Visit and support the Bitcoin Community Center, which is educating locals every day.
• Pay with Bitcoin in one of the 130+ orange-pilled local merchands.

Local Food

Pupusas

Thick corn tortillas stuffed with cheese, beans, and pork.

I want some pupusas, but not too many, I don't want to roll back to my hotel. Do you have the best ones?
Quiero unas pupusas, pero no demasiadas, no quiero rodar de regreso a mi hotel. ¿Tienes las mejores?

Enchiladas

Tostadas topped with ground meat, vegetables, and cheese.

Some Salvadoran enchiladas, please. But not so spicy that I need to call the fire department.
Unas enchiladas salvadoreñas, por favor. Pero no tan picantes que necesite llamar a los bomberos.

Drinks in El Salvador

• Naturally Flavored Water: Agua de Coco (Coconut water is the go-to drink for locals), Agua de Cebada (barley-based & lightly sweet), Agua Fresca (come in many flavors like lime, pineapple, or cucumber)
• Smoothies: Ensalada (A drinkable fruit salad with apples and melons)
• Coffee: While coffee is a staple in El Salvador, the best beans are often exported, leaving locals with a milder brew. Specialty cafes are offering stronger, export-grade options.
• Beer: Pilsener Beer (light & crisp classic), Suprema Beer (smooth & slightly malty European-style), Golden Light Beer (pale mild lager that’s refreshing)
• Non-alcoholic Specialties: Atole de Elote (warm creamy corn-based drink with Mayan origins, flavored with cinnamon and sugar), Tamarind Juice (tangy & earthy flavor)
• Alcoholic Specialties: Tic Tack (strong, earthy sugarcane liquor)

Spanish Fundamentals

Gendered Nouns and Adjectives

• Spanish nouns have a gender – masculine or feminine. Most nouns ending in -o are masculine (el libro – the book), and those ending in -a are feminine (la mesa – the table).
• Adjectives also change to match the noun’s gender. For example, a tall boy is un chico alto and a tall girl is una chica alta.

Pronunciation

• Accented syllables (á, é, í, ó, ú) are always stressed (café – kah-FEH).

Some letters in Spanish have different sounds than in English:

• ñ sounds like ny in canyon (niño – NEE-nyoh).
• H is silent (hola is OH-lah).
• J is pronounced like a rough h, so jalapeño sounds like hah-lah-peh-nyo.
• R is a soft flap, like the "tt" in "butter" (pero – PEH-roh). RR is a rolled sound, requiring a strong trill (perro – PEH-rroh).
• LL and Y sound like y as in yes most of the time (llama – YAH-mah).
• C sounds like s before e or i (cielo – SYEH-loh), and k elsewhere (casa – KAH-sah).
• Z and soft C (before e or i) are pronounced like the English th in "thin" (zapato – tha-PAH-toh) in Spain. In Latin America like an S (zapato – sah-PAH-toh).

Formal and Informal You (Tú vs. Usted)

• Tú is the informal you and is used with friends, family, and people your own age or younger.
• Usted is the formal you, used to show respect to elders, strangers, or authority figures.
• This distinction also applies in the plural, where vosotros/vosotras is informal plural in Spain, and ustedes is used everywhere for formal plural.

Conjugation of Verbs

• Spanish verbs change form depending on who is doing the action, when it’s happening, and the level of formality.
• There are three main verb groups ending in -ar, -er, and -ir (e.g., hablar - to speak, comer - to eat, vivir - to live). Learning the common endings for these verbs in the present tense (e.g., hablo, hablas, habla) is a key foundation.

Common False Friends and Literal Translations

• Some words look like English words but mean something different (e.g., "embarazada" means "pregnant", not "embarrassed").
• Be careful with literal translations. For example, “I’m hot” in Spanish isn’t Soy caliente (which means “I’m sexy”)—it’s "Tengo calor."
• Use "tener" (to have) for expressions like "tener hambre" (to be hungry) or "tener sed" (to be thirsty).