Basic Spanish phrases you can use beyond the first sentence

Open the conversation and leave room for an answer

Use Hola for a simple hello, or Buenos días in a morning greeting. The Open University greetings lesson provides short audio exchanges so you can hear a greeting followed by a response. Practise the exchange rather than treating the first word as a performance.

Write two role cards. One person enters a café; the other is already speaking with somebody else. Practise waiting for an appropriate opening, giving a greeting and pausing. In the second round, have the listener greet you first. Your task is to respond to what happened instead of starting your memorised speech from the beginning.

For an English speaker, the spelling of hola can invite an audible h. In this word the h is silent, as the Open University h lesson demonstrates. Listen to the word, then place it before a name or greeting. Keep the change small enough that your voice remains comfortable.

Do not add a long introduction unless the situation calls for one. A greeting and a clear request may be enough. Save your name, home city and reason for learning Spanish for an exchange where that information is relevant.

Match the form of address to the relationship

Spanish has different ways to address a person, including tú and usted, with usage depending on region and relationship. The Open University lesson on address introduces this distinction. Avoid treating an entire continent as having one fixed rule for strangers or friends.

For this guide's service interaction, practise a courteous usted form such as ¿Puede repetir, por favor?, meaning can you repeat, please. With somebody you address as tú, the corresponding verb is puedes. Learn the complete short phrase so that the verb fits the form of address you intend.

You can ask a teacher or local contact which form fits a particular setting. Record their explanation with the situation: a classmate, a neighbour you know, or someone helping you at a counter. This produces a more useful note than a rigid rule based only on the person's apparent age.

If somebody invites a different form of address, adapt without turning the moment into a grammar examination. Your main task is to listen, respond and maintain the exchange.

Prepare one clear request and two possible answers

The Cervantes beginner functions inventory includes requests and clarification as ordinary beginner tasks. Choose a small request you could genuinely make, such as asking for a glass of water. Do not begin with a long list of complicated preferences if you cannot yet recognise a short follow-up question.

Use Un vaso de agua, por favor, meaning a glass of water, please. A listener may need another detail, so practise hearing a choice rather than assuming the conversation ends there. In our exercise the other person asks ¿Con hielo o sin hielo?, with ice or without ice. Reply with the option you intend.

Change the reply on the next turn. If you always say sin hielo, you may learn the sequence without attending to the question. Put an ice cube drawing on one card and a crossed-out ice cube on another, then draw a card after hearing the question.

Keep courtesy connected to the request. Say the whole phrase at a conversational volume and leave room for a response. If you are unsure of the pronunciation, listen to the relevant words individually before returning to the full exchange.

Recover the detail you actually missed

If you miss a price, do not restart the entire order. Point your request at the uncertain detail. ¿Ha dicho dos euros? checks whether the speaker said two euros. The amount here is an invented exercise value, not a current café price. Have your partner answer either sí or no and give a different amount.

Another useful option is Más despacio, por favor, asking for slower speech. Use it when speed is the problem. If you simply do not know one word, slowing every sentence may not solve that uncertainty; ask for the word to be explained or written instead.

Practise a deliberate misunderstanding. Your partner says one amount, you repeat another, and they correct you. Your goal is to accept the correction and state the intended amount. This makes clarification part of normal speaking practice instead of something you only attempt under pressure.

Do not say sí to hide a missing detail that matters. In the exercise, it is fine to pause and ask again. Finishing a memorised line quickly is less useful than agreeing on what was requested.

End the exchange after confirming the outcome

Hasta luego is a common leave-taking expression, and it can be answered with the same expression. The Open University goodbye lesson supplies audio examples. Use it as a closing after the practical part of your exchange is settled.

In the café scenario, first check that you received the water as requested. Then thank the person and close. In a conversation with a friend, the closing may follow a different social rhythm; listen to how the other person signals that they are leaving.

Make the closing part of your role-play card so that you do not stop speaking abruptly after the last request. You can practise a short version and a slightly longer version with a personal comment. Choose the version that fits your current vocabulary and the actual relationship.

Run the café exchange with one surprise

Round one is supported: keep the phrase table visible and have your partner give predictable answers. Round two removes the English meanings. Round three changes one detail after you have begun, such as whether ice is available. You can simplify the answer, but you must acknowledge the new information.

After each round, the listener notes the requested item, the chosen option and any amount that was confirmed. Check the notes together. If the result is wrong, identify the exact turn where you lost agreement and rehearse that turn once more.

These prompts are short enough for a focused recording. They do not constitute a complete menu lesson, and they should not be read as one uninterrupted speech to a real server.

Review the exchange in two different ways

First review the outcome: did the listener understand the item and option? Then review the recording: which word or pause deserves attention? Keeping those notes separate prevents a minor sound concern from hiding a successful interaction, or a smooth delivery from hiding a wrong order.

The Spanish test gives word accuracy, fluency and completeness feedback for its reading task. It cannot decide whether you chose an appropriate form of address or responded correctly to a café question. Keep those conversational checks in your role play and use the tool for its supported recording feedback.