Phrases for Having Phone Conversations in Spanish

Quick Answer

Need to make a phone call in Spanish? ¡No te pongas nervioso!(Don’t be nervous!) With this list of helpful phrases, you’ll be talking on the phone with ease and confidence in no time!

The purpose of this guide is to give you general phrases to help you through a phone conversation in Spanish. Be mindful of the phrases you use, as some phrases are meant for informal conversations and others for formal conversations.

Starting a Phone Conversation

How do you start a phone conversation in Spanish? Just like you do in English! Start with a greeting.

Spanish	English	where/when it is used
hola	hello	in all Spanish-speaking countries
buenos días	good morning	in all Spanish-speaking countries/formal conversations
buenas tardes	good afternoon	in all Spanish-speaking countries/formal conversations
buenas noches	good evening	in all Spanish-speaking countries/formal conversations

If you're calling someone you know, continue the phone call with a conversation starter.

Spanish	English
¿Cómo estás?	How are you?
¿Qué tal?	How’s it going?
¿Qué hay de nuevo?	What’s new?

If it’s a formal conversation, give the reason why you are calling.

Spanish	English
¿Se encuentra ...?	Is … available?
Habla ...	This is … speaking.
¿Puedo hablar con ...?	Can I talk to ...?
¿Podría pasarme a ...?	May I speak with ...?
¿Podría conectarme con …?	Could you transfer me to …?
Llamo para ...	I’m calling to ...

Answering a Phone Conversation

When it comes to answering the phone, there's a whole range of alternatives to hola. Be careful, though, as some of these are restricted to different countries. Take a look at the table below.

Spanish	English	where/when it is used
hola	hello	in all Spanish-speaking countries
sí	hello	in all Spanish-speaking countries
aló	hello	Latin America
bueno	hello	Mexico
dígame	hello	Spain
diga	hello	Spain

Here are some follow-up phrases you can use when you answer the phone:

¿Quién habla?	Who's speaking?
¿Quién es?	Who is it?
¿Qué tal?	How’s it going?
¿Qué hay de nuevo?	What’s new?
¡Es bueno saber de ti!	Good to hear from you!
Estoy bien, ¿y tú?	I’m well, and you?

Helpful Phrases

Having a phone conversation in Spanish can be nerve-racking, especially when problems arise. Whether there is a lot of noise around you, you call the wrong number, or your phone cuts out mid-conversation, these phrases will help you.

Many of the phrases listed are given in the túform for informal conversations and the ustedform for formal conversations.

¿Me oyes bien?/¿Me oye bien?	Can you hear me OK?
No te oigo/No lo/la oigo	I can’t hear you.
No entiendo.	I don’t understand.
¿Puedes repetir eso?/¿Puede repetir eso?	Can you repeat that?
Un momento, por favor.	Hold on, please.
Tienes el número equivocado./Tiene el número equivocado.	You have the wrong number.
Estoy ocupado.	I’m busy.
¿Me lo deletreas, por favor?/¿Me lo deletrea, por favor?	Could you spell it, please?
Se cortó la línea.	We got cut off.

To be fully prepared for a formal phone conversation in Spanish, make sure to brush up on the Spanish alphabet. To clarify the spelling of a word in Spanish, say the letter, then de, then a word that begins with that letter. For example, eme de Madrid.

Leaving a Message

Here is a short list of phrases to help you leave someone a message or take a message for someone else.

Spanish	English
¿Puedo dejar un mensaje?	Can I leave a message?
¿Quieres dejarle un mensaje?/¿Quiere dejarle un mensaje?	Can I take a message?
Dile que llamó .../Dígale que llamó ...	Tell him/her that … called.

Ending the Call

Take a look at this list of the most common ways to end a phone conversation in Spanish.

Spanish	English
Tengo otra llamada.	I have another call.
Se hace tarde.	It’s getting late.
Me debo ir.	I should get going.
Mi teléfono tiene la batería baja.	My phone has low battery.
¿Te puedo llamar más tarde?/¿Lo/la puedo llamar más tarde?	Can I call you back later?
Te vuelvo a llamar./Lo/la vuelvo a llamar.	I’ll call you back.
Gracias por llamar.	Thank you for calling.
Que pases un buen día./Que pase un buen día.	Have a good day.
Gracias por tu tiempo./Gracias por su tiempo.	Thank you for your time.
Fue un placer conversar con usted.	It was a pleasure speaking with you.
Hablamos luego.	Talk to you later.
Nos hablamos pronto.	Talk to you soon.
Te llamo más tarde.	I’ll call you later.
¡Chau!	Bye!
¿Alguna otra cosa?	Is there anything else I can help you with?