Lanzaroteños speak their own dialect but a few words of Spanish will always stand you in good stead here.
Pronounciation
There are a couple of basic rules for pronouncing letters in Spanish, which will help you out every time if you’re not sure how a word should sound.
Phonetically the letters of the alphabet are as follows:
Vowels
a as in apple
e as in a (long English a)
i as e (short English e)
o as in oval (but short)
u as in oo (and not ewe)
Consonants
- b = bay (short) c = thay d = day f = effay
- g = hay (as if the h were ch in loch) h = achay (but it is silent in words)
- j = hota k = ka (short)
- l = ellay m= emay n= enay ñ= enyay p = pay q = koo r = erray
- s = essay t = tay v = uvay w = uvay doblay x = ekis
- y = ee gree yega z = theta
A good rule of thumb is to remember that all the sounds are short, not drawn out, except the letter r. If you can roll your r’s you will get on really well in Spanish.
There are a couple of exceptions to the rule about pronunciation – g is hard when it is followed by an a or o or u. Double ll is pronounced y, so for example llamar – the verb to call - is pronounced yamar.
So here are a few useful phrases and words which may come in handy while you’re in Lanzarote.
Useful Phrases
Greetings
- Hola (ola): Hello
- Buenos dias (bwoo nas deeas): Good day
- Buenos tardes (bwoo nas tar des): Good afternoon
- Buenos noches (bwoo nas no ches): Good night or good evening
- Encantado (en can tar doe): Pleased to meet you/enchanted
- Mucho gusto (much o goos toe): Pleased to meet you
- Como se llama? (com o say ya ma): What’s your name?
- Que tal? (kay tal): How are you?
- Como esta usted? (como es ta oost ed) How are you (polite)?
Your Accommodation
- Donde esta mi hotel? (don day es ta mi otel): Where is my hotel?
- Tengo una reserva (ten go oona res zer va): I have a booking
- Mi habitacion esta sucia (mi abi tath eon es ta soo cee a): My room is dirty
- No tengo toallas (no ten go toe ay as): I don’t have any towels
- Quiero vistas del mar(key ero vis tas del mar): I want sea views
- A que hora es el desayuno? (a kay ora es el des aye oono): What time is breakfast?
Donde esta la parada del autobus?: (don day es ta la par ada del ow toe bus): Where is the bus stop? - Tengo un problema/un dolor (ten go oon pro blame a/ oon doll or): I have a problem/ a pain
Eating/Drinking
- Quisiera….. (key sea era): I would like ……
- Desayuno (des aye oono): breakfast
- Almuerzo (al moo air tho): lunch
- Cenar (sen are): dinner
- Un bocado (oon bock ar doe): a snack
- Me puede traer la carta? (me pway day try ear la car ta): Could you bring me the menu?
- Tiene…? (tea any): Do you have (polite singular)….?
- Tienen….? (tea en en): Do you have (polite plural) ….?
- Un vaso de vino (oon vas o de vee no): a glass of wine
- Una cerveza (oona ser vay sah): a beer
- Una jarra (oona har ra): a pint
- Una caña (oona can ya): a small beer
- Un cenicero (oon sen e sero): an ashtray
- Un bocadillo (oon bock a di yo): a sándwich
On the Road
- Voy al aeropuerto (voy – as in voyeur – al air o pwair toe): I’m going to the airport
- Coja la proxima a la derecha (co ha la prox e ma a la de rech a): take the next right
- La segunda a la izquierda (la seg un da a la ith key air doe): the second left
- Estoy perdido (es toy per dee do): I’m lost
- Donde esta mi maleta? (don day es ta me ma let a): Where’s my suitcase?
General Questions
- Puede ayudarme? (pway day eye oo dah may): Can you help me?
- Tiene la hora? (tee any la ora): Do you have the time (polite)?
- Cuantos años tienes?(qwan toss an yos tee anys): How old are you?
- Donde esta la playa? (don day es ta la ply a): Where is the beach?
- Hay una farmacia cerca? (Eye oona farm a thee a ser ca): Is there a chemists nearby?
- Busco un restaurante bueno (Boos co oon res toe rant a bway no): I’m looking for a good restaurant
- Permiso (per mis o): Excuse me/may I?
- Lo siento (low see en toe): I’m sorry
- Perdona (per donna): Excuse me
- Disculpa la molestia (dis cul pa la mo les tee ah): Sorry to bother you
- Felicidades (fel ees e dad es): Congratulations
- Oiga (oy ga): Listen/can you hear me?
- Mira (meer a): Look
- Escuchame (es coo cha may): Listen to me
- De donde eres? (de don day err ez): Where are you from?
