How to Make a Phone Call in Spanish

We cannot deny that making a phone call in Spanish can be complicated when you are not quite fluent. It is one of the hardest things for Spanish language learners.

When you are on the phone, you cannot use all the senses that help you guess what the person on the other side of the line is saying.

For example, during a Spanish phone call, you cannot see the other person’s facial expressions which would likely tell a lot about how they are feeling or make you guess what they would say.

In fact, you are limited to using only your voice, without gestures that would help you explain yourself better.

We know for a fact that Spanish phone calls can be difficult when you’re not speaking the language (or not enough). So we made this post to help you break the ice and see that making a phone call in Spanish is not a big deal.

Not only did we prepare the vocabulary you need to make a phone call in Spanish but we also gathered plenty of examples with audio to practice your listening skills.

CONTENTS

How to Start a Phone Call in Spanish

In our opinion, starting a phone call in a foreign language is easier than answering one. Before making a phone call in Spanish, you can practice and prepare yourself for it. This way, you have an idea of what to say.

Below you will find the most common phrases Spaniards use when starting a phone conversation.

INFORMAL

SPANISH	ENGLISH
Hola, soy... ¿Está...?	Hello, I am... Is...there?
Hola, soy... ¿Se puede poner...?	Hello, I am... ¿Can...get to the phone?

FORMAL

SPANISH	ENGLISH
Buenos días, ¿podría hablar con...?	Good morning, could I speak to...?
Buenas tardes, ¿se encuentra...?	Good afternoon, is...there?
Hola, ¿puedo hablar con...?	Hello, can I speak to...?
Hola, quisiera hablar con…	Hello, I would like to speak to...
Buenas noches, me gustaría hablar con...	Good evening, I would like to speak to...

How Spaniards Answer a Phone Call

Answering a phone call in a second language can be more challenging. You may not be expecting the call and thus, you are not prepared for it.

Of course, it can feel intimidating. The more comfortable scenario is talking to a friend who knows and understands that you are practicing your Spanish, while the more challenging option is answering a phone call in Spanish when you have no idea who’s on the other side of the line. Let alone what they want!

Let’s not forget that body language is crucial when you talk to someone in person. That significant detail is lacking in a phone call conversation.

There are formal and informal ways to answer a Spanish phone call, depending on who you are talking to.

Get ready to answer a phone call in Spanish by using the following vocabulary.

INFORMAL

SPANISH	ENGLISH
¿Sí?	Hello or yes?

FORMAL

SPANISH	ENGLISH
Buenos días, habla...	Good morning, this is...
Buenos días, le atiende...	Good morning, this is...
¿Dígame?	Hello
¿Diga?	Hello
Hola, me llamo... ¿En qué puedo/podría ayudarle?	Hello, my name is... How can/could I help you?

How to End a Phone Conversation in Spanish

Ending a phone call in Spanish is similar to ending a conversation in person. Although there are many ways to end a Spanish phone conversation, it also depends on the type of call you had.

Was it a phone call in Spanish related to work or was it with someone you just met and want to hang out with?

Find below the most common Spanish phone phrases to end a phone call in Spanish.

INFORMAL

SPANISH	ENGLISH
Adiós	Goodbye
Chao	Bye
Cuídate	Take care
Hasta luego	See you later or talk to you later
Hasta pronto	See you soon or talk to you soon
Hasta la próxima	See you next time or until next time
Ya hablamos Ya hablaremos	Talk to you later Speak to you later
Nos vemos	See you
Que tengas un buen día	Have a good day
Que (te) vaya bien	I hope everything goes well or I hope it goes well

FORMAL

SPANISH	ENGLISH
Adiós	Goodbye
Cuídese	Take care
Gracias, muy amable	Thanks, you have been kind/helpful
Gracias por llamar	Thanks for calling
Gracias por su llamada	Thanks for your call
Ha sido un placer hablar con usted	It has been a pleasure to talk/talking to you
¡Que le vaya bien!	I hope everything goes well I hope it goes well
¡Que tenga un buen día!	I hope you have a good day

When There Is Confusion Over the Phone

There is nothing worse than having problems when you are on the phone, such as losing service or when a person sounds like they are far away, in the woods.

Did it ever happen to you that you were having a Spanish phone conversation and the coverage was so bad, that you ended up interrupting each other’s sentences?

What a nightmare!

This can lead to a lot of confusion and sometimes very awkward conversations.

To avoid a lot of uncomfortable situations, we suggest you use the following Spanish phone phrases:

INFORMAL

SPANISH	ENGLISH
No te oigo	I cannot hear you
¿Puedes repetirlo?	Can you repeat it?
¿Puedes explicármelo de nuevo/otra vez?	Could you explain it to me again?
¿Me oyes?	Can you hear me?
¿Sigues ahí?	Are you still there?
No te oigo muy bien	I cannot hear you very well
¿Qué dices?	What are you saying?
¿Cómo?	What?
Parece que no hay cobertura	It seems there is no service/coverage

FORMAL

SPANISH	ENGLISH
Perdone, no le escucho	Sorry, I cannot hear you
¿Perdone?	Pardon?
¿Disculpe?	Pardon?
¿Puede repetirlo, por favor?	Can you repeat it, please?
¿Podría repetirlo, por favor?	Could you repeat it, please?
¿Podría explicármelo de nuevo/otra vez, por favor?	Could you explain it to me again, please?
¿Sigue ahí?	Are you still there?
No le oigo muy bien	I cannot hear you very well
¿Qué decía? ¿Qué dijo?	What were you saying? What did you say?
Parece que no hay cobertura	It seems there is no service/coverage

Spanish Vocabulary Related to Phone Calls

Do you want to make a call in Spanish? Do you think your vocabulary is pretty limited and you don’t have the courage to speak?

If you are sweating when a phone rings and you don’t know what to expect, stop worrying. First, it leads you nowhere, and second, we created a bunch of specific situations when a phone rings, so you have a clear picture of what to say.

You can read all about it in our eBook Conversations On the Phone which contains extra vocabulary!

As for the phone call wording, find below the vocabulary of nouns and verbs you need for a phone call in Spanish.

NOUNS

SPANISH	ENGLISH
El contestador automático	Voicemail Answering machine
La guía telefónica	Phone book
La llamada	Call
La línea telefónica	Phone line
El mensaje de voz	Voicemail
El mensaje (de texto)	Text message
El número de teléfono	Phone number
El teléfono	Phone
El (teléfono) fijo	Landline
El (teléfono) móvil	Cell phone

VERBS

SPANISH	ENGLISH
Enviar/mandar un mensaje de texto Mensajear	To text
Colgar	To hang up
Llamar	To call
Marcar	To dial
Mantenerse a la espera	To hold on
Sonar	To ring

Final Thoughts

Do you feel a bit more confident now? We sure hope so!

Making a phone call in Spanish seems tough when you don’t have enough vocabulary. But don’t let this stop you from answering a phone or making one.

These Spanish phone phrases might be able to help you when answering or making a phone call in Spanish. You can write some notes for yourself and highlight them, so you can always turn to them when needed.

During our online Spanish classes, we help you by practicing this vocabulary so you feel more confident if you need to make an official phone call in Spanish or whatever the nature of the call is.

Now, tell us:

Do you feel comfortable talking by phone in Spanish?

How did your first Spanish phone conversation go?

Have you ever had an awkward moment on the phone speaking in Spanish?

Share your answers in the comment section below!

17 Tips to Becoming Conversationally Fluent in Spanish

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