When walking around Buenos Aires, Argentina, it’s helpful to know some useful phrases in Spanish to navigate the city, interact with locals, and enjoy your visit. Here are some essential phrases:
Greetings and Basics
- Hello / Hi: Hola
- Good morning: Buenos días
- Good afternoon: Buenas tardes
- Good evening / night: Buenas noches
- Please: Por favor
- Thank you: Gracias
- You’re welcome: De nada
- Excuse me: Disculpe / Perdón
- Sorry: Lo siento
- Yes: Sí
- No: No
Getting Around
- Where is…?: ¿Dónde está…?
- How do I get to…?: ¿Cómo llego a…?
- Left: Izquierda
- Right: Derecha
- Straight ahead: Todo recto / Derecho
- Near: Cerca
- Far: Lejos
- Corner: Esquina
- Street: Calle
- Avenue: Avenida
Public Transport
- Where is the subway station?: ¿Dónde está la estación de subte?
- Where is the bus stop?: ¿Dónde está la parada de colectivo?
- How much is a ticket?: ¿Cuánto cuesta un boleto?
- I need a ticket to…: Necesito un boleto para…
- Which line do I take to…?: ¿Qué línea debo tomar para…?
Shopping and Dining
- How much does this cost?: ¿Cuánto cuesta esto?
- Can I have the menu, please?: ¿Me puede traer el menú, por favor?
- What do you recommend?: ¿Qué me recomienda?
- I would like…: Quisiera…
- Check, please: La cuenta, por favor
- Is it spicy?: ¿Es picante?
- I’m vegetarian: Soy vegetariano/a
Emergencies and Help
- Help!: ¡Ayuda!
- Call the police!: ¡Llame a la policía!
- I’m lost: Estoy perdido/a
- I need a doctor: Necesito un médico
- Where is the hospital?: ¿Dónde está el hospital?
- Do you speak English?: ¿Habla inglés?
Interacting with Locals
- My name is…: Me llamo…
- Nice to meet you: Mucho gusto
- I’m from…: Soy de…
- Can you help me?: ¿Puede ayudarme?
- I don’t understand: No entiendo
- Please speak slowly: Por favor, hable despacio
Useful Expressions
- How far is it?: ¿Qué tan lejos está?
- Can I pay with a credit card?: ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta de crédito?
- Where can I find…?: ¿Dónde puedo encontrar…?
- What time does it open/close?: ¿A qué hora abre/cierra?
- Is it safe to walk here?: ¿Es seguro caminar por aquí?
Knowing these phrases can help make your experience in Buenos Aires smoother and more enjoyable, allowing you to interact with locals and navigate the city with ease.
Hi, I’m Natalia, an Argentine writer born and raised in Buenos Aires, and I’ve been writing about this city for 9 years.
I cover Buenos Aires the way only a local can: the neighbourhoods that don’t make the highlight reels, the ferias worth getting up early for, the parrillas where the menu isn’t in English, and the safety picture by barrio — honest, not sanitized. I’ve taken 40+ solo trips across Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia and Peru, and I write in both Spanish and English, which means the local forums, neighbourhood Facebook groups and municipal notices that never get translated are all fair game for me.
My writing covers two things I know from the inside: Buenos Aires as a destination — what to do, where to stay, how to navigate the city as a visitor — and Buenos Aires as a place to live. The expat life content comes from real experience: the paperwork that defeats everyone, the healthcare system that surprises you, the cost of living that changes faster than any guidebook can track, and the parts of porteño life that make it worth all of it.
If you’re visiting for a week or moving here for a year, I aim to be the honest friend who actually lives here — not the one who visited once and wrote a listicle.