how do you say to give a speech in spanish

4 Spanish phrases that make it easier to communicate

Learning a new language is really exciting, but it can be intimidating to know how to start putting all those words and grammar together into sentences! If you're learning Spanish, here are four useful phrases to help get you communicating right from the start. You can pair them easily with lots of the new vocabulary you're learning!

This small word that covers a lot of situations! Pronounced like the English word "I," the Spanish word hay means "there is" or "there are."

Use it with: nouns

• Hay una fiesta hoy. (There is a party today.)
• Hay dos camas en la habitación. (There are two beds in the room.)
• No hay tenedores. (There are no forks.)
• Hay un búho enorme en el comedor. (There is an enormous owl in the dining room.)

To make it a question: No change needed! Just raise your voice at the end like we do in English. So ¿Hay una fiesta hoy? means "Is there a party today?"

Behind the scenes: No matter how you look at it, hay is a weird word in Spanish! It doesn't conjugate like other verbs and it's always just hay in the present tense. As you can see in the examples, hay can be used with un and una or with plural words, but not with el or la !

Necesito is a verb that means "I need," and it's really useful because you can use it with nouns (for things that you need) or verbs (for things you need to do).

Use it with: nouns and verbs

• Necesito ayuda. (I need help.)
• Necesito más información. (I need more information.)
• No necesito un suéter. (I don't need a sweater.)
• Necesito caminar un poco más. (I need to walk a little more.)

To make it a question: To ask what someone else needs, you'll say necesitas for "do you need" or necesita if you need to be a little more polite. So, ¿Necesitas agua? means "Do you need water?"

Behind the scenes: The verb necesitar is from the group of Spanish verbs ending in -ar. Like all Spanish verbs, it drops that -ar ending and gets a new one to say who is doing the needing. In the above cases, we use the ending -o for "I," so necesit- + -o becomes necesito for " I need."

This phrase has two parts: tengo (I have) and que , which literally means "that." But when you put them together, this phrase means "I have to [verb]."

Use it with: verbs

• Tengo que regresar hoy. (I have to go back today.)
• Tengo que practicar español. (I have to practice Spanish.)
• No tengo que comer ahora mismo. (I don't have to eat right now.)
• Tengo que salir a las 4. (I have to leave at 4.)

To make it a question: To ask what someone else has to do, you'll use tienes que for "do you have to [verb]?" (or tiene que for the formal version). The question ¿Tienes que salir a las 4? means "Do you have to leave at 4?"

Behind the scenes: The verb tener (to have) is irregular in a few ways, so one way for learners to get the hang of it is to practice just a couple of forms at a time—like tengo for "I have" and tienes for "you have"!

Me gustaría

This phrase means "I would like," and it might remind you of the similar phrase me gusta (I like). The ending on gustar ía turns "like" into " would like," so it sounds just a bit more polite. That can be really helpful for new learners!

Use it with: verbs (and technically nouns, too, but more often with verbs)

• Me gustaría ir al centro. (I'd like to go downtown.)
• Me gustaría comprar un boleto. (I'd like to buy a ticket.)
• No me gustaría salir temprano. (I would not like to leave early.)
• Me gustaría conocer la ciudad. (I'd like to get to know the city.)

To make it a question: If you want to ask what someone else would like to do, you'll replace me with te for more casual interactions or le for more formal situations. So ¿Te gustaría ir al cine? means "Would you like to go to the movies?"

Behind the scenes: This short phrase actually has pretty complex grammar! Learners will eventually study all the parts of it, but it's definitely ok for beginners to use the phrase as a "chunk" and not worry about understanding the details. (And for you grammar nerds, the me is an indirect object pronoun and the -ía ending is one of the conditional verb endings.)

All the tools you need to get talking!

Look out for these phrases—and words you can use with them!—in your Duolingo lessons . You can also put them and our Spanish pronunciation tips to good use with other learners in Duolingo Classes . Check back for more tips to make the most of your learning!

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75 Basic Spanish Phrases and 30 Sample Dialogues To Participate in Any Conversation

• August 31, 2020

Joanna Lupa

Have you started learning Spanish quite recently, and you need more vocabulary?

Are you planning to spend Christmas with your family in Mexico?

Or perhaps you’ve only been studying with grammar books, and you need to catch up on “real-life” words and expressions?

This post is for all of you who want to challenge themselves into an actual Spanish conversation and need some help to survive.

Today I´ll show you how to greet people in this language, teach you some common expressions, typical conversational questions, give you a few examples of small talk in Spanish , and many other useful things.

And so that you know what I am talking about, please take a look at:

The Must-Know basic Spanish phrases to participate in conversations

• 🇪🇸 ¡Hola! – 🇬🇧 Hello!
• 🇪🇸 Me llamo (John) – 🇬🇧 My name is (John).
• 🇪🇸 Soy de (Boston) – 🇬🇧 I’m from (Boston).
• 🇪🇸 ¡Un gusto conocerte! – 🇬🇧 Nice to meet you!
• 🇪🇸 ¿Cómo estás? – 🇬🇧 How are you?
• 🇪🇸 Muy bien y tú? – 🇬🇧 Very well, and you?
• 🇪🇸 No hablo muy bien español – 🇬🇧 I don’t speak Spanish very well.
• 🇪🇸 No entiendo – 🇬🇧 I don’t understand.
• 🇪🇸 ¿Puedes repetir? – 🇬🇧 Can you repeat?
• 🇪🇸 ¡Nos vemos! – 🇬🇧 See you!
• 🇪🇸 ¡Gracias por todo! – 🇬🇧 Thanks for everything!

Of course, this list is only a brief summary of what we are going to see today. 

So sit tight and focus. I promise this post is worth it!

Greetings and Introductions in Spanish

If you don’t know much of Spanish, you should at least be able to greet people and introduce yourself, right? 

Just with this, you’ll be able to join a conversation, focus on your listening comprehension, and once you’re ready to participate, add some other words that you know. 

Never be ashamed of how little Spanish you might know. Talking to other people in this language is by far the best way to practice and advance. 

Never miss a chance to participate in a conversation just because you’re self-conscious of your limited vocabulary or poor pronunciation.

The table below shows some basic formal and informal Spanish greetings.

And this is how you could use these basic Spanish phrases in conversations:

🇪🇸 A: ¡Hola, John! ¡Bienvenido a mi casa! B: ¡Hola! ¡Muchas gracias por la invitación! 🇬🇧 A: Hi John! Welcome to my home! B: Hello! Thanks a lot for the invitation!

🇪🇸 A: ¡Buenos días! ¿Cómo le va? B: ¡Muy bien! ¿Y cómo está usted? 🇬🇧 A: Good morning! How do you do? B: Very well! And how are you?

🇪🇸 A: Pedro, te presento a mi hermana, Carla. B: Hola Carla, ¡bienvenida a Madrid! 🇬🇧 A: Pedro, please meet my sister, Carla! B: Hi, Carla! Welcome to Madrid!

🇪🇸 A: Estimados, por favor conozcan a nuestro nuevo socio, Señor Morales. B: Encantados en conocerlo, Señor.  🇬🇧 A: Dear all, please meet our new partner, Mr. Moralez! B: Pleased to meet you, Sir. 

Spanish expressions of politeness

Taking part in a conversation often requires you to use some essential polite words. 

You know what they say: there’s never too many thank-yous, no matter what language you speak!

Either as a quick review or a list of “to-learn” vocabulary, here’s a selection of useful politeness expressions to save you from the “rude gringo” image. “Gringo” is the way Spanish-speakers refer to foreigners whose first language is not Spanish.

🇪🇸 ¡Gracias! 🇬🇧 Thank you! / Thanks!

🇪🇸 ¡Por favor! 🇬🇧 Please!

🇪🇸 ¡Lo siento! 🇬🇧 I’m sorry! – apologetic

🇪🇸 Disculpa / disculpe –  tú / usted 🇬🇧 Excuse me

🇪🇸 Test Your Spanish Knowledge 🇪🇸

🇪🇸 ¿Perdón? 🇬🇧 Beg your pardon? 

🇪🇸 ¡No te preocupes! 🇬🇧 Don’t worry!

🇪🇸 ¡No se preocupe! 🇬🇧 Don’t worry! – formal

🇪🇸 ¡Con mucho gusto! 🇬🇧 With pleasure!

🇪🇸 ¡De nada! 🇬🇧 You’re welcome!

🇪🇸 ¡Un placer! 🇬🇧 My pleasure!

And if you wonder what these would look like in a conversation, check out the mini-dialogues below: 

🇪🇸 A: Buenos días, ¿me puede comunicar con el Señor Peña, por favor? B: ¿Perdón? No le escucho muy bien. ¿Me puede deletrear el apellido, por favor? 🇬🇧 A: Good morning, can you put me through to Mr. Peña, please? B: I beg your pardon? I can’t hear you very well. Can you spell the last name, please?

🇪🇸 A: Disculpa, me puedes decir la hora, por favor? B: Por supuesto, son las siete y media. 🇬🇧 A: Excuse me, can you tell me what time it is, please? B: Of course, it’s half-past seven. 

Knowing how to tell the time in Spanish is another crucial skill to have!

Spanish S.O.S phrases to help you understand any conversation

So, people are talking, asking you questions, and you are slowly getting lost? 

Chill out; with these few basic Spanish phrases, you will be able to adjust the pace of any conversation to your needs and skills. 

Remember, when you learn a second language, there is no shame in asking people to repeat, slow down, or explain what something means. You should be proud of yourself for making an extra effort to have a conversation in a language that is not your mother tongue. 

🇪🇸 No hablo muy bien español. 🇬🇧 I don’t speak Spanish very well.

🇪🇸 ¿Hablas inglés? 🇬🇧 Do you speak English?

🇪🇸 No entiendo. 🇬🇧 I don’t understand.

🇪🇸 Más lento, por favor. 🇬🇧 Slower, please.

🇪🇸 Puedes repetir? 🇬🇧 Can you repeat?

🇪🇸 ¿Qué significa ….? 🇬🇧 What does … mean?

🇪🇸 ¿Me puedes explicar…? 🇬🇧 Can you explain…?

Below you’ll find a few samples of what these phrases would look like in a dialogue. 

🇪🇸 A: Lo siento, pero no entiendo. ¿Puedes repetir, por favor? B: Por supuesto. Preguntaba… 🇬🇧 A: I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. Can you repeat, please? B: Of course. I was asking…

🇪🇸 A: Me puedes explicar que significa esta palabra? B: Claro, significa…. 🇬🇧 A: Can you explain to me what this word means? B: Sure, it means…

🇪🇸 A: Más lento, por favor. No hablo muy bien español. B: Oh, disculpa. Te preguntaba…. 🇬🇧 A: Slower, please. I don’t speak Spanish very well.  B: Oh, sorry. I was asking you…

Typical questions in Spanish conversations and sample answers

Ok, so now you’ve settled into a conversation, you’re getting more and more comfortable, but then people start throwing more and more questions at you!

Don’t panic!

I have it all covered. 

A “gringa” myself, I have heard those same questions over and over again. I know exactly what it is that people want to know when they have a chance to meet a friendly foreigner.

Have a look at these questions and answers and see for yourself:

🇪🇸 A: ¿Cómo te llamas? B: Me llamo Lucy y tú? 🇬🇧 A: What’s your name? B: My name is Lucy, and yours?

🇪🇸 A: ¿De dónde eres? B: Soy de Canadá. 🇬🇧 A: Where are you from? B: I’m from Canada.

🇪🇸 A: ¿A qué te dedicas? B: Soy ingeniero. Trabajo en una empresa de telecomunicaciones. 🇬🇧 A: What do you do for a living? B: I’m an engineer. I work at a telecommunication company. 

🇪🇸 A: ¿Qué te parece este país? B: ¡Me encanta!  🇬🇧 A: How do you like this country? B: I love it!

🇪🇸 A: ¿Qué haces en (Madrid)? B: Vine de intercambio. 🇬🇧 A: What are you doing in (Madrid)? B: I came here on an exchange study program.

🇪🇸 A: ¿Cuánto tiempo llevas en Chile? B: Un par de meses. 🇬🇧 A: How long have you been in Chile? B: A couple of months.

If you take a closer look at the last example, you’ll see that the English “ have you been” is replaced only with one Spanish verb: llevar . 

It is a perfect example of how two languages never translate literally. If you want to improve your communication skills, avoid this and other common mistakes in Spanish . 

Basic Spanish Phrases for Special Occasions

So, you’re telling me you’ve been invited to a birthday party and the birthday boy speaks Spanish?

And you’re also making plans to celebrate New Year’s in the Dominican Republic? 

Wow, that sure sounds like lots of fun!

I suggest you get ready and learn a few occasional greetings ahead of time.

If you need a list, be my guest:

🇪🇸 ¡Feliz cumpleaños! 🇬🇧 Happy birthday!

🇪🇸 ¡Feliz Navidad! 🇬🇧 Merry Christmas!

🇪🇸 ¡Feliz Pascua de Resurrección! 🇬🇧 Happy Easter!

🇪🇸 ¡Felices fiestas! 🇬🇧 Happy holidays!

🇪🇸 ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! 🇬🇧 Happy New Year!

🇪🇸 ¡Gracias, igualmente! 🇬🇧 Thanks, you too!

🇪🇸 ¡Felicitaciones por tu nuevo trabajo! 🇬🇧 Congratulations on your new job!

🇪🇸 ¡Felicidades por tu bebé! 🇬🇧 Congrats on your newborn baby!

🇪🇸 ¡Felicidades por tu boda! 🇬🇧 Congrats on your wedding!

🇪🇸 ¡Mi pésame! 🇬🇧 Sorry for your loss! – to a mourning person

All these basic Spanish phrases can be used not only in a conversation but also in greeting cards, thank-you notes, and such. 

How to Do Small Talk in Spanish

I see that you are getting more and more confident in this conversation game. 

Do you say you want to start asking questions yourself? Good for you!

First, I suggest you review the most common Spanish questions words to make sure you can ask about a variety of topics. 

Once you have the grammar covered, use your natural charm, and ask away!

Here’s a couple of ideas to get you started on the small talk in Spanish. 

🇪🇸 A: ¿Que lindo el día, cierto? B: ¡Si, por fin paró de llover! 🇬🇧 A: Nice day, right? B: Yes, it’s stopped raining finally!

🇪🇸 A: ¿Qué te parece la fiesta? B: ¡Me encanta! Sobre todo la música. 🇬🇧 A: How do you like the party? B: I love it! Especially the music!

🇪🇸 A: ¿Viste el partido anoche? B: No, se me olvidó. ¿Quién ganó? 🇬🇧 A: Did you see the game last night? B: No, I forgot. Who won?

🇪🇸 A: ¿Te traigo algo para tomar? B: Una cerveza, por favor. 🇬🇧 A: Can I get you something to drink? B: A beer, please.

🇪🇸 A: ¿Has probado las tapas? ¡Están deliciosas! B: En serio? Voy a comer una, entonces. 🇬🇧 A: Have you tried the tapas? They are delicious! B: Really? I’m going to have one, then. 

Goodbyes – Most Important Spanish Expressions 

The party is over, and it’s time to say goodbye to your host?

Your Spanish-speaking friend is going back to his country, and you want to let them know you’ll miss them?

Or perhaps you just need to say “See you on Monday” to your workmates before leaving for the weekend?

No matter who is saying goodbye and to whom, here’s a few must-know phrases in Spanish to get you going. 

🇪🇸 ¡Chao! 🇬🇧 Bye

🇪🇸 ¡Adiós! 🇬🇧 Goodbye!

🇪🇸 ¡Nos vemos! 🇬🇧 See you!

🇪🇸 ¡Hasta luego! 🇬🇧 See you later!

🇪🇸 ¡Nos vemos mañana! 🇬🇧 See you tomorrow!

🇪🇸 ¡Que tengas un buen fin de semana! 🇬🇧 Have a good weekend!

🇪🇸 ¡Buen viaje! 🇬🇧 Have a good trip!

🇪🇸 ¡Fue un gusto conocerte! 🇬🇧 It was a pleasure meeting you!

🇪🇸 ¡Cuidate! 🇬🇧 Take care!

🇪🇸 ¡Gracias por todo! 🇬🇧 Thanks for everything!

🇪🇸 ¡Vuelve pronto! 🇬🇧 Come back soon!

When put in context, these phrases would make for smooth little dialogues like the ones below:

🇪🇸 A: ¡Chao Lucía, nos vemos el lunes! B: Chao Patricio, ¡qué tengas un buen fin de semana! 🇬🇧 A: Bye Lucía, see you on Monday! B: Bye Patricio, have a good weekend!

🇪🇸 A: Ha llegado mi taxi. !Me voy, gracias por todo! B: Fue un placer conocerte, Juan, ¡qué tengas un buen viaje! 🇬🇧 A: My taxi has arrived. I need to go. Thanks for everything! B: It was a pleasure to meet you Juan, have a good trip!

🇪🇸 A: ¡Adiós!, mis queridos, tengo que volver a mi país. B: Vuelve pronto, Pablo, te vamos a extrañar. 🇬🇧 A: Goodbye, my beloved ones, I need to go back to my country. B: Come back soon, Pablo, we are going to miss you!

How to Give Your Opinion in a Conversation in Spanish

Giving opinions in a conversation in Spanish is a huge step from simple greetings. 

It requires you not only to learn the phrases that announce your point of view, whether you agree with your partner or not, but also a whole plethora of additional vocabulary to justify and defend your opinion. 

I’m convinced that with a little practice you can manage that, too. 

But, first things first. These are the main expressions in Spanish you are going to need:

🇪🇸 Pienso que… 🇬🇧 I think that…

🇪🇸 Creo que… 🇬🇧 I believe that…

🇪🇸 Opino que… 🇬🇧 In my opinion…

🇪🇸 Me parece que… 🇬🇧 It seems to me that…

🇪🇸 Estoy de acuerdo. 🇬🇧 I agree.

🇪🇸 No estoy de acuerdo… 🇬🇧 I disagree…

🇪🇸 ¿Que te parece…? 🇬🇧 What do you think about…?

🇪🇸 ¿Qué opinas sobre…? 🇬🇧 What is your opinion about…?

🇪🇸 ¿Estás de acuerdo? 🇬🇧 ¿Do you agree?

I have prepared a few mini-dialogues to get you going:

🇪🇸 A: ¿Qué piensas sobre este proyecto? B: Me parece bastante complejo. 🇬🇧 A: What do you think about this project? B: It seems quite complicated. 

🇪🇸 A: ¿Qué opinas de esta película? B: No me gustó mucho. Creo que fue demasiado larga. 🇬🇧 A: What do you think about this movie? B: I didn’t like it very much. I think it was too long.

🇪🇸 A: Opino que es mejor viajar en tren que en bus. B: No estoy de acuerdo. Los trenes acá son viejos e incómodos. 🇬🇧 A : In my opinion, it is better to travel by train than by bus. B: I disagree. Trains here are old and uncomfortable. 

🇪🇸 A: Pidamos una pizza vegetariana. ¿Te parece bien? B: Perfecto, me parece una muy buena idea. 🇬🇧 A: Let’s order a vegetarian pizza. Is it OK with you? B: Great, I think it is a very good idea. 

🇪🇸 A: Propongo que le compremos un maletín nuevo a Pedro para su cumpleaños. B: Pienso que no lo va a usar. Siempre anda con su mochila. 🇬🇧 A: I suggest we buy Pedro a new briefcase for his birthday. B: I think he won’t use it. He always carries his backpack. 

Spanish Filler Words that Help You Gain Time in a Conversation

We all have our favorite filling words, don’t we? 

When used with measure, they help improve your speech flow and get you those precious seconds you need to find the right word.

Spanish speakers use a lot of different fillers. There is no reason why you shouldn’t use them too.

🇪🇸 Pues… 🇬🇧 Well…

🇪🇸 Entonces… 🇬🇧 So…

🇪🇸 Y luego… 🇬🇧 And then…

🇪🇸 Ya sabes… 🇬🇧 You know…

🇪🇸 A ver… 🇬🇧 Let’s see…

🇪🇸 O sea… 🇬🇧 I mean…

🇪🇸 Bueno… 🇬🇧 Well…

🇪🇸 A: ¿Está listo para pedir? B: A ver… Tráigame una porción de la torta de chocolate y un expresso. 🇬🇧 A: Are you ready to order? B: Let’s see… I’ll have a slice of the chocolate cake and an espresso.

🇪🇸 A: Yo no voy. O sea, me encantaría ir, pero no puedo. B: Bueno, será para la próxima.  🇬🇧 A: I’m not going. I mean, I’d love to, but I can’t. B: Well, I hope you can make it next time.

🇪🇸 A: Juanito, ¿cuál es la capital de Noruega? B: Pues…¿me puede repetir la pregunta? 🇬🇧 A: Juanito, what’s the capital of Norway? B: Well,…¿can you repeat the question?

I hope you enjoyed the post, guys.

More importantly, I hope you learn some useful basic Spanish phrases, too. In case you want to add some emotion to your conversations, make sure to read about how to express surprise in Spanish.

Spanish Resources

Colors in spanish – essential words and phrases, tú vs. vos vs. usted vs. vosotros vs. ustedes – master them in 1 hour, 80 hilarious spanish idioms and what they mean, your spanish journey starts here, privacy overview.

Spanish Oral Presentation Guide for Beginners

by TruFluency | Featured Spanish Blog , Learn Spanish , Spanish Presentation

The moment to show off your Spanish skills is here, and we’ll teach you how to wow your audience, coworkers, boss, or clients. The way you introduce and close your presentation can have a positive or negative effect on your audience. So, it’s normal that you get nervous about speaking in front of a crowd and communicating your ideas effectively.

Practicing oral presentations in Spanish helps you focus on pronunciation and clarity while broadening your academic, job, and business opportunities . However, what may be even more valuable is that it gives you the chance to take risks, gain confidence, and exercise persuasion in a foreign language.

If you have a presentation soon, and want to blow everyone’s mind, here is your guide to giving oral presentations in Spanish for beginners.

5 Engaging Presentation Openings

The first part of our Spanish oral presentation guide is to help you find the most engaging ways to open your speech.

1. Start with a Reflexive or Engaging Question

For example:

¿Sabían ustedes que la entonación de nuestra voz no es sonido sino emoción? (Did you know that the intonation of our voice is not sound but emotion?)

Starting with a question allows you to keep your audience attentive throughout your message.

2. Tell an Anecdote

55% of our communication stems from non-verbal language ; everything our audience reads through our expressions, mannerisms, tone, etc., while 38% of our communication is vocal and 7% is words.

Hence, the importance of telling a story at the beginning of your presentation, so your audience connects with what you are going to deliver. We are all natural communicators.

At first, you may feel shy about opening yourself to the world, but believe it or not: your story counts, your story inspires, and even more than you think.

3. Utilize Objects

Generate interest with an object that’s relevant to your message. For instance, you can follow a similar script to this one:

Esta cartera que hoy acompaña mi atuendo tiene un significado muy especial. Esta cartera ha sido elaborada, tejida y pensada por gente que cree en sus sueños. ¡Qué gusto estar el día de hoy aquí hablando con emprendedores que creen en construir!

(This purse that matches my outfit today has a very special meaning to me. This purse has been sewn, knitted, and created by people that believe in their dreams. What a pleasure to be here today talking with entrepreneurs that believe in building things!)

Utilizing resources as elements of your speech will help your public to relate and feel part of your speech. Everything has a meaning and a representation. Remember that your public will forget what you said but will always remember how you made them feel. So, make them feel welcome!

4. Statistics

Using statistical data will help give your statement a significant rational weight. Remember that statistics aren’t read, they’re interpreted. This forces you to describe exhaustive research about a topic.

This isn’t about boring your audience with numbers, it’s about using statistics as a tool to make people reflect on your message. An example of an introduction in Spanish with statistics is:

¿Sabían ustedes que el 80% de los consumidores que adquieren sus productos en línea confían más en las recomendaciones de sus amigos o familiares que de las propias empresas?

(Did you know that 80% of consumers that buy your products online trust more in the recommendations of their friends and family than on the ones of companies?)

5. Who are you?

Greet your audience. This is fundamental to bond with them. Say your name, who you are, what your topic is and why it is important to pay attention to you. Let’s put it into practice with this example:

Hoy me encuentro feliz de estar con ustedes compartiendo lo que sé. Mi nombre es Liam Jones, soy periodista y locutor de radio, y hoy quiero que aprendas a utilizar tu voz para hacerte escuchar.

(Today I am very happy to be with you sharing what I know. My name is Liam Jones. I am a journalist and radio host, and I want you to learn to use your voice to make yourself heard.)

Respect your essence, know yourself and regularly practice the above types of introduction.

Verbal and Non-Verbal Presentation Tips

The next part of our Spanish oral presentation guide is divided into verbal and non-verbal language.

Non-Verbal Language Tips

Your gestures can emphasize, substitute or contradict what you express with words.

Use open gestures, like moving your hands, stretching your arms and legs, and opening your shoulders. Additionally, avoid having objects in your way between your body and the audience, such as folders, books, and tables. Your face should be visible all the time.

Choose gestures that ease people’s understanding of your speech. For example, pointing in a direction.

Avoid fidgeting out of nervousness. For instance, touching your hair or glasses.

Distribute your gaze amongst your audience, so everybody feels included. You can divide your audience into different quadrants. Let’s say, four, and choose a person of each quadrant to “talk to”.

Volume and Intonation

Mentally “take measurements” of the room, so the volume you choose to use is enough for both people in the front row and in the back to hear you. Also, avoid monotonous intonation. Highlight with your voice the keywords of your speech.

Rhythm and Pronunciation

Slow down when you need to separate ideas, this reflects confidence and helps you recover people’s attention. Pronunciation should be clear , so be careful with mumbling sounds.

Nobody has the right to tell you how to dress, but it’s recommendable that your attire matches both your personality and the context of your presentation.

Verbal Language Tips

Order and structure.

A presentation that has order and structure is easy to follow, understand, and remember.

Organize your speech in parts. For example: importance, data, chronology, interesting bullet points, zoom in, and zoom out.

Use discourse markers; words that organize and connect ideas. Some examples are:

To Start Interventions El objetivo de esta exposición es… / Hablaré en primer lugar de… / Para comenzar… (The objective of this presentation is… / Firstly, I’ll speak about… / For starters…)

To Introduce Comments or Examples Por ejemplo… / Como es el caso de… / Recordemos, en ese sentido, que… (For example… / As is the case with… / Let’s remember, in this sense, that…)

To Structure the Discourse En primer lugar… / En segundo lugar… / Por un lado,…por otro lado… / Finalmente… (In first place… /In second place… /On the one hand…on the other hand… /Finally…)

To Resume the Subject Volviendo a lo que hemos visto al principio… / Como decía… / Señalaba que… (Going back to what we’ve seen at the beginning… /Like I was saying… / I was pointing out that…)

To Establish Logical Relationships Consecuentemente… / Eso nos demuestra que… / Deducimos, entonces… (Consequently… / That shows us that… / We deduce, then…)

To Conclude Tratemos, finalmente, el último aspecto… / En resumen,… / Para terminar… / En conclusión… (Let’s address, finally, the last aspect… / In summary… / Lastly… / In conclusion…)

You should adapt it to your audience’s knowledge, formality level, and the purpose of your presentation.

Sentences should be short and simple. Avoid the overuse of muletillas (catch phrases).

Oral Presentation Conclusions in Spanish

When you’re giving a presentation in Spanish, do not miss the chance to leave a good impression. The final part of a speech is what we remember the most. So, use it to deliver a message or briefly summarize what you want to convey. You can create a compelling conclusion with a phrase, rhetorical question, quote, or call-to-action.

En conclusión, cualquiera puede padecer de un problema de salud mental. (In conclusion, anyone can have a mental health problem.)

Si las personas más brillantes pueden padecer problemas de salud mental, ¿por qué nosotros no? (If the most brilliant people can have mental health issues, why can’t we?)

La mente es como un paracaídas, si no se abre, no sirve para nada. Muchas gracias, público oyente, por haber abierto su mente a escucharme en esta exposición. (The mind is like a parachute, if it isn’t opened, it doesn’t work. Thank you very much, listening public, for having opened your minds to listen to me in this presentation.)

Ready to be confident in your next Spanish oral presentation?

The key to giving a memorable oral presentation in Spanish is to be original, creative, and do something that’s unusual but true to your essence. Thus, you’ll make the difference.

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Translation of give – English-Spanish dictionary

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• Can you give any evidence to support your claim ?
• I'm never going to guess the answer if you don't give me a clue .
• The letters that people wrote after his death gave me a lot of comfort .
• A loving family environment gives children that sense of stability and permanence which they need.
• I'm a bit wary of/about giving people my address when I don't know them very well.
• The photocopier is giving me all sorts of problems .
• The noise and heat of the office was giving him a headache .
• The success of the team gave the manager great satisfaction .
• The teacher's comments gave her confidence .
• The red carpet gave the ceremony a real sense of occasion .
• To celebrate his birthday , Tony gave a party .
• The producer gave a party to thank all the people who had helped in the making of the film .
• She gave a sigh of relief as the car came to a stop .
• Just give the ends a trim , please .
• If you don't give it a go, you'll never know what you could have achieved .

Phrasal verbs

(Translation of give from the Cambridge English-Spanish Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translation of give | GLOBAL English–Spanish Dictionary

(Translation of give from the GLOBAL English-Spanish Dictionary © 2020 K Dictionaries Ltd)

Examples of give

Translations of give.

Get a quick, free translation!

Word of the Day

anonymously

without the name of someone who has done a particular thing being known or made public

Dead ringers and peas in pods (Talking about similarities, Part 2)

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• give (PROVIDE)
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Spanish Grammar for Beginners: The 9 Parts of Speech

One of the most important parts of Spanish grammar for beginners is parts of speech!

You’ve probably heard your Spanish teacher talk about terms like sustantivo, verbo, and artículo in class, but what do they mean? Well, these are just a few of the parts of speech in Spanish!

Today, you’ll learn what these terms mean as I go over the 9 parts of speech in Spanish. Understanding how to use these terms can even help you learn Spanish faster! You can even test your new knowledge at the end of the post with a fun grammar quiz. 

What is a “Part of Speech”?

There are thousands of words in English and Spanish. Luckily, parts of speech exist to help categorize these words.

Parts of speech group words together based on their function in a sentence. In Spanish, the main parts of speech are: 

• Preposition
• Conjunction
• interjection 

The parts of speech are one of the most important Spanish grammar rules for beginners. There is lots of information packed into these 9 categories!

Knowing the Parts of Speech Makes Learning Spanish Easier

Understanding parts of speech is incredibly useful when learning a foreign language. Knowing a word’s part of speech tells you how to use it in a sentence. This knowledge makes it easier to properly construct sentences. 

Additionally, it’s important to know the parts of speech so that you’re not confused when your Spanish teacher talks about conjunctions, adverbs, and articles. Knowing some basic grammar terminology will help you better understand what’s going on in class. 

Discover the 9 Parts of Speech in Spanish

If you want to learn Spanish grammar for beginners, then knowing the parts of speech is a must. These categories are the building blocks for Spanish grammar. 

1. Articles ( Los artículos )

Articles draw special attention to the noun that they precede. The type of article shows the way that the speaker is thinking about the noun. The speaker could be talking about the noun in a general sense or as a specific item. The two distinct types of articles are definite and indefinite. 

Definite Articles

Definite articles specify which object, person, or place the speaker is talking about.

“The” is the only definite article in English. In Spanish, however, there are 4 definitive articles: los, las, el , and la . 

Again, these artículos change depending on the noun that they precede.

• Masculine singular: el
• Masculine plural: los
• Feminine singular: la
• Feminine plural: las

Let’s look at some examples.

La maestra pone el lápiz en la mesa. The teacher puts the pencil on the table.

El perro corre en el patio. The dog runs in the yard.

Indefinite Articles

Indefinite articles are a nonspecific way to refer to a noun. “A” and “an” are the only two English indefinite articles that exist. However, in Spanish, there are four.

Again, these artículos change depending on the noun that they proceed.

• Masculine singular: un 
• Masculine plural: unos
• Feminine singular: una 
• Feminine plural: unas

Look how the sentences change with indefinite articles.

Una maestra pone un lápiz en una mesa. A teacher puts a pencil on a table.

Un perro corre en un patio. A dog runs in a yard.

2. Nouns ( Los sustantivos )

You’ve probably heard that nouns in English are people, places, and things. Luckily, the same holds true in Spanish!

Nouns, or sustantivos , can be objects, feelings, and even concepts. They help you talk about the physical and imaginary world. Nouns are essentially names that identify objects. 

Many Spanish words have a specific ending that tells you that the word is a noun. 

Spanish Noun Endings

– ción/-ión

• canción – song
• transición – transition
• aprobación – approval
• unidad – unity
• profundidad – depth
• hermandad – brother/sisterhood
• sencillez – simplicity
• fluidez – fluidity
• diez – ten

Nouns can occur anywhere in a sentence, but they usually appear as the subject at the beginning of the sentence or as an object at the end. 

El perro corre en el jardín. The dog runs in the yard.

Los niños juegan con el gato en la sala. The children play with the cat in the living room.

3. Adjectives (Los adjetivos)

Adjectives describe nouns. You use adjectives all the time! They add creativity, detail, and personality to your sentences. Adjectives help describe people, places, and the things around you. 

Common Adjectives

• grande – big/large
• hermoso –  beautiful
• azul – blue
• rápido – fast

Be careful with your adjective placement! In English, adjectives come before the noun that they describe. However, in Spanish, they come after the noun. 

Example Sentences

La maestra nueva pone el lápiz amarillo en la mesa sucia. The new teacher puts the yellow pencil on the dirty table.

El perro feo corre en el patio grande. The ugly dog runs in the big yard.

Los niños traviesos juegan con el gato gris en la sala desorganizada. The mischievous children play with the gray cat in the messy living room.

4.  Verbs ( Los verbos )

Los verbos describe an action or a state of being. Verbs make up an important part of Spanish grammar for beginners. Every sentence has a verb! 

Common Verbs

• pensar – to think
• vivir – to live
• ser – to be

The above verbs are in their neutral state, which is called the infinitive form. You can tell when a verb is in its infinitive form because it will end in -ar, -er, or -ir . 

However, most sentences won’t use verbs in their infinitive form. Instead, verbs are usually conjugated in the present, past, future, or other tenses. Spanish verbs require a lot of conjugating! Learn more about Spanish verb conjugation with this guide .

See if you can identify the verbs in each of the following sentences. 

La maestra pone el lápiz en la mesa. (poner) The teacher puts the pencil on the table.

El perro corre en el patio. (correr) The dog runs in the yard.

5.  Adverbs ( Los adverbios )

Just like how adjectives describe nouns, adverbs add a description to verbs. Adverb even has the word “verb” inside of it!

For example, instead of saying “he runs,” you can say “he runs fast.” “Fast” describes how the action is done. 

Common Spanish Adverbs

Los adverbios in Spanish have many different forms, but the most common ending is – mente . In English, they end in -ly. 

• lentamente – slowly
• felizmente – happily
• cuidadosamente – carefully

Take a look at how adverbs affect these sentences.

La maestra pone el lápiz cuidadosamente en la mesa. The teacher carefully puts the pencil on the table.

El perro corre rápidamente en el patio. The dog runs quickly in the yard.

Los niños juegan silenciosamente con el gato en la sala. The children play quietly with the cat in the living room.

6. Pronouns ( Los pronombres )

A pronoun is essentially a word that substitutes a noun. You don’t want to keep using the same noun over and over again when telling a story. This repetition would sound boring and cluttered. Instead, you use a pronoun to replace the noun that you are talking about. 

Take a look at this paragraph without pronouns:

The teacher walked into class. Then the teacher told us that the teacher had a surprise. The teacher brought cupcakes to class!

Now take a look at the same paragraph using pronouns:

The teacher walked into class. Then she told us that she had a surprise. She brought cupcakes to class!

See how important pronouns are? They make the paragraph much more clear and concise!

Spanish Subject Pronouns

Spanish subject pronouns are the most common type of pronoun. They are broken down by the gender and number of the noun they replace. 

Try to identify the subject pronouns in these sentences. 

Ella pone el lápiz en la mesa. She puts the pencil on the table.

Él corre en el patio. He runs in the yard.

7. Prepositions ( Las preposiciones )

Prepositions explain the relationships between nouns. They tell you how two nouns are related, often referring to a location. 

Common Spanish Prepositions

• en – in, on
• por – by, because of
• debajo – below
• adentro – inside

These words are normally sandwiched by two nouns, as you can see in the following examples.

El perro corre alrededor del patio. The dog runs around the yard.

8. Conjunctions ( Las conjunciones )

Conjunctions are words that connect nouns, verbs, phrases, and sentences. They help you piece together different ideas. 

There are two main types of conjunctions: simple and complex. The simple conjunctions are the ones that you use all the time. In English, they are “and”, “but”, and “or”. Complex conjunctions, on the other hand, have a little more depth. 

Simple Spanish Conjunctions

• y – and
• o – or
• pero – but

Complex Spanish Conjunctions

• sin embargo – however 
• por lo tanto – therefore 
• así que – so
• aunque – even though

Take a look at how these conjunctions act in a sentence. 

La maestra pone el lápiz en la mesa pero se cae. The teacher puts the pencil on the table but it falls off.

Aunque el perro y el niño corrieron en el patio, todavía tienen energía. Even though the dog and the boy ran in the yard, they still have energy.

Los niños juegan con el gato en la sala. Así que, no nos van a molestar. The children play with the cat in the living room. So, they will not bother us.

9. Interjections ( Las interjecciones )

Interjections are abrupt remarks that help you to express different emotions. They also help to improve your Spanish by making it sound more natural! 

Interjections are a fun part of Spanish grammar for beginners. They are short words or phrases so they are easy to remember. Plus, native speakers will love hearing you use these natural Spanish sounds. 

Common Interjections in English

Common interjections in spanish.

Interjections can vary in their meaning. Context is extremely important to help decode them. Volume, pitch, and speed can also help show meaning. Interjections can also be filler words. They are a way to fill in a space or pause while the speaker thinks of the next thing they want to say. In this way, they are a means of not giving up airtime or preventing someone from interrupting.

Take a look at how interjections add emotion and feeling to these sentences. 

¡Venga! La maestra ya ha empezado la clase. Come on! The teacher already started class.

¡Ay! El perro está fuera del patio. Hey! The dog is outside of the yard.

Spanish Grammar Books

Here are some of the best Spanish grammar for beginners books. Whether you’re looking for grammar books for preschoolers , kids , or adults , there is a book for everyone!

Spanish Grammar for Beginners Quiz

Grammar exercises are a great way to reinforce what you’ve learned. This Spanish grammar test for beginners is an easy way to practice. Try to see if you can get all 10 questions right!

1. Gato is a…

2. ella is a…, 3. alto is an…, 5. en is a...., 6. las is an…, 7. ah is an…, 8. lentamente is an…, 9. correr is a…, 10. ciudad is a…, learn even more spanish grammar for beginners with a free class.

Now that you’ve explored Spanish grammar for beginners, it’s time to impress your language teacher! If you’re still searching for the perfect Spanish teacher, consider trying a free class with Homeschool Spanish Academy. We offer programs for students of all ages at competitive pricing . Sign up today and our certified teachers from Guatemala will have you speaking Spanish after just one class!

Ready to learn more Spanish grammar and vocabulary? Check these out!

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• A Complete Guide to Preterite Conjugation for Beginners
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How to use reported speech in Spanish?

Reported speech, also known as indirect discourse, is the reproduction or “repackaging” of someone else’s message. In English and in Spanish, we normally begin reported speech with a reporting verb ( dijo ( " he/she said " ) ), preguntó ( " he/she asked " ) , etc.), followed by a conjunction ( que ( " that " ) ) and then the message. With that said, reported speech in Spanish has a few rules we need to keep in mind. Are you ready to be the messenger? Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

Direct vs indirect speech.

Spanish and English both have different means of communicating what someone has said. One way is called direct speech. Direct speech works the same in both languages: you use direct quotations and a punctuation mark to introduce the message. In English, we use a comma, but in Spanish, we introduce direct speech with a colon. Here is an example of direct speech:

El profesor fue claro. Nos dijo: “Hagan la tarea para mañana.”

The professor was clear. He told us, “Do your homework for tomorrow.”

Indirect speech, while still relaying a message, has a few more things to consider. In Spanish, we can indirectly report statements, questions (yes/no and content), and commands/requests . Because we use indirect speech way more than direct speech in our daily life, we need to make sure you know how to use it and how to build it to avoid confusion or mixed messages. What does indirect speech look like, you ask? Here are some examples:

Indirect statement:

La señora explicó que para abrir la puerta necesitábamos jalar, no empujar .

The lady explained that t o open the door we needed to pull, not push .

Indirect command:

Mi mamá me dijo que hiciera la cama y guardara los platos .

My mom told me to make the bed and put away the dishes .

Indirect question:

Mi hermana nos preguntó si íbamos a reunirnos para su cumpleaños .

My sister asked us if we were going to get together for her birthday .

While still relaying a message, see how the reported/indirect messages have to change in both languages? Let’s get our learning going!

How to build indirect speech in Spanish?

Before we begin any type of indirect speech, we must start our clause with a verb of reporting. The following are some frequently used verbs of reporting:

• decir ( " to say, to tell " )
• preguntar ( " to ask " )
• querer ( " to want " )
• explicar ( " to explain " )
• afirmar ( " to assert " )
• añadir ( " to add " )
• contestar ( " to reply, to answer " )
• insistir ( " to insist " )

The verb of reporting can refer to the present or the past . If it refers to the present, the verb of reporting will be in the present (simple or progressive) or present perfect :

El niño dice/ha dicho que quiere su biberón.

The boy says/has said that he wants his bottle.

If it refers to the past, the most common form is the preterite :

El niño dijo que quería su biberón.

The boy said that he wanted his bottle.

The second ingredient in indirect speech is a conjunction that follows the verb of reporting. The conjunctions are normally que ( " that " ) or si ( " if " ) .

Finally, we must adapt three additional items when building indirect speech. The three changes are: relation , time , and location . Keep reading to learn more!

Subject pronouns and possessives

When using indirect speech, we need to make sure we change subject pronouns No definition set for subject pronouns Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. and possessives to match the message that was given. This also happens in English. Here’s an example:

Direct speech:

María dijo: “( yo ) Quiero mi burrito.”

María said, “ I want my burrito.”

Indirect speech:

María dijo que ella quería su burrito.

María said that she wanted her burrito.

Notice how the indirect speech goes from first to third person since we are indirectly referring to what has been said.

Change in location and time

When we are using indirect speech, we must adjust our time and location references as well. This also happens in English! It should not be too difficult to pick up.

Time changes:

hoy ( " today " ) → ese día/aquel día ( " that day " )

Julio dice: “Llego hoy.”

Julio says, “I arrive today.”

Julio dijo que llegaba ese día.

Julio said that he would arrive that day.

ahora ( " now " ) → entonces ( " then " )

La niña insiste: “Quiero jugo ahora.”

The girl insists, “I want juice now.”

La niña insistió que quería jugo entonces.

The girl insisted that she wanted juice then.

mañana ( " tomorrow " ) → al día siguiente ( " the next day " )

El estudiante añadió: “No estaré en clases mañana.”

The student added, “I will not be in classes tomorrow.”

El estudiante añadió que no estaría en clases al día siguiente.

The student added that he would not be in classes the next day.

Click the link to see some additional Spanish expressions and how they change with indirect speech !

Notice that if you're reporting in the present, you might not need to change the time reference. It’s all a matter of time relativity! For instance, llego hoy ( " I arrive today " ) , if you're relaying this message on the same day then there is no need to change:

Location changes:

Adverbs of place: aquí ( " here " ) → allí, ahí ( " there " )

Mi papá dijo: “Estaciónate aquí.”

My dad said, “Park here.”

Mi papá quiso que me estacionara allí.

My dad wanted me to park there.

These include demonstratives, adjectives, and pronouns because they deal with distance from the speaker!

este, esta ( " this " ) → ese, esa, aquel, aquella ( " that " ) estos, estas ( " these " ) → esos, esas, aquellos, aquellas ( " those " )

Directionality/verbs of direction will also change!

llevar ( " to take " ) → traer ( " to bring " )

ir ( " to go " ) → venir ( " to come " )

And vice versa!

Ana says, “I’ll bring coffee for everyone.”

Ana says she’ll bring coffee for everyone.

For more on how to use these particular verbs in Spanish , head over to our post!

Adapting verb tenses in indirect speech

The last crucial change in building indirect speech happens to verb tenses. Just like we change time expressions above, sometimes we need to change verb tenses to ensure the message is being communicated appropriately. Here are a couple of examples:

If the reporting verb is related to the present , then there is NO NEED to change the verb tense.

El doctor dice : “No ⤷ present puedo atenderte.”

The doctor says, “I can’t see you.”

El doctor dice que no ⤷ present puede atenderme.

The doctor says he cannot see me.

If the reporting verb is related to the past , then you will need to change the verb tense.

El doctor dijo : “No ⤷ present puedo atenderte.”

El doctor dijo que no ⤷ imperfect podía atenderme.

For a full list of Spanish verb tenses and their corresponding tense in indirect speech , click the link!

We will see next that these rules also apply to indirect questions, but they do not when using commands. Keep reading to find out which verb tenses you use with Spanish commands.

Indirect questions in Spanish

If you are relaying a question with indirect speech, there are a couple of different options for doing so. However, the most common verbs of reporting for questions are: preguntar ( " to ask " ) and querer saber ( " to want to know " ) . With regard to verb tenses, it works exactly like the indirect statements above. Let’s check questions and indirect speech, shall we?

Yes and no questions

Mi hermano preguntó: “¿Tienes chicle?”

My brother asked, “Do you have gum?”

Mi hermano preguntó si tenía chicle.

My brother asked if I had gum.

To report a yes/no answer, you can say:

Questions words

f you are reporting a question that originally had a question word (who, what, when, where, etc.), you will not require the use of que ( " that " ) or si ( " if " ) . Instead, you will keep the original question word in Spanish as your "bridge" between the reporting verb and indirect speech. For example:

El chico preguntó: “¿ Dónde está la Rambla?”

The boy asked, “Where is the Rambla?”

El chico preguntó dónde estaba la Rambla.

The boy asked where the Rambla was.

Erica quiere saber: ¿Cuándo es la asamblea?

Erica wants to know, “When is the assembly?”

Erica quiere saber cuándo es la asamblea.

Erica wants to know when the assembly is.

In colloquial speech it is common to insert " que " between the reporting verb “ preguntar " and the question word or before si for yes/no indirect questions.

Enrique me preguntó (que) por qué habías llegado tarde.

Enrique asked me why you had arrived late.

Los estudiantes preguntaron (que) si podían tener una extensión.

The students asked if they could have an extension.

For more on questions, check out: " How to build questions in Spanish? "

Indirect commands in Spanish

To use indirect speech to relay commands, the format continues being similar to indirect statements:

Introduce the indirect speech with a verb of reporting.

• exigir ( " to demand " )
• mandar ( " to command " )
• pedir ( " to ask for/request " )

Follow it with the conjunction que ( " that " ) .

Finally, if the verb of reporting is in the present, present continuous, or present perfect, then the command will be in the present subjunctive . For example:

Compra leche, por favor.

Buy milk, please.

Tu papá pide que compres leche, por favor.

Your dad asks that you buy milk, please.

On the other hand, if the verb of reporting is in the preterite, imperfect, or past perfect, then the command will be in the imperfect subjunctive .

Tu papá pidió que compraras leche, por favor.

Your dad asked you to buy milk, please.

Need a refresher on these subjunctive tenses? We have you covered with these posts on the Spanish present subjunctive and the Spanish imperfect subjunctive .

To sum it up

Indirect speech is used for indirectly reporting statements, questions (yes/no and content), and commands/requests. In order to build indirect speech appropriately, we need to keep in mind the following pieces:

Start the clause with a verb of reporting, such as decir ( " to say, to tell " ) , preguntar ( " to ask " ) , querer ( " to want " ) , etc.

Follow the verb of reporting with a conjunction .

que ( " that " ) for indirect statements and commands, or

si ( " if " ) for yes/no questions

a question word (who, what, when , where, etc.) for content questions.

Finally, we must adapt three additional items when building indirect speech:

Time changes: making sure the time expressions are appropriately adjusted to fit an indirect message.

Location changes: making sure words that imply distance from the speaker also match the indirect speech.

Verb tense changes: We change verb tenses to ensure the message is being communicated appropriately.

Statements and questions use verbs in the indicative.

Commands use verbs in the subjunctive.

While it seems like a lot of stuff to remember, these changes make sense because so many of them also happen in English. The best way to master indirect speech is to practice it, so I have created an activity for you to get you started with it. You can check it out by clicking the link!

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Reported Speech in Spanish: Master the Art of Talking About What Other People Say

Reported speech is everywhere.

In English, you use it dozens (if not hundreds) of times every day without even realizing it.

The good news is that you can be that natural in Spanish, too. You’re literally just an article away from becoming a Spanish reported speech master yourself!

Don’t believe me? Give this post just 10 minutes of your time, and you’ll see how easy it can be.

What Is Spanish Reported Speech?

Basics of spanish reported speech, spanish reporting verbs, decir  (to say, to tell), preguntar  (to ask), querer saber (to want to know), pedir  (to ask), querer (to want), other reporting verbs in spanish, using  que (that), spanish reported speech word order: subject + verb + object, spanish reported speech based on questions, yes or no questions, “wh-” questions, other changes in spanish reported speech, personal pronouns and possessives, time and place expressions, verb tenses, and one more thing….

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Direct and reported speech are two of the most frequently-used grammar points in languages, and Spanish is no exception. Whenever you talk about what someone else has said, you use either direct or reported speech.

When you repeat exactly what another person has said and explicitly indicate who said it, you’re using direct speech. For example:

Daniel dice: “Estoy muy cansado hoy.” (Daniel says: “I am very tired today.”)

Now, let’s say you don’t remember exactly what your  compadre (buddy) Daniel said, but you do remember the gist of it. If someone else asks you what Daniel said, you’d say something like:

Daniel dice que está muy cansado hoy.  (Daniel says he is very tired today.)

That, in a nutshell, is reported speech. Spanish reported speech is where you talk about someone (other than yourself and the person you’re talking to) and what that person said without necessarily quoting them verbatim.

In written texts or messages, it’s usually easier to differentiate between Spanish direct and reported speech. For starters, direct speech uses quotation marks to enclose the statement being quoted, while reported speech doesn’t. Direct speech quotes the person being talked about word-for-word, while reported speech may or may not use their exact words, though the gist of what they said is always present.

So that’s it, right? Differentiating direct and reported speech in Spanish is just a matter of using the right punctuation marks and whether you used the other person’s exact words, yes? 

Not quite. Although English and Spanish reported speech are similar for the most part, the latter has some unique quirks that we’ll be discussing in the next sections.

Like in English, reported speech in Spanish consists of a few basic elements: reporting verbs, connecting words like que (“that”) and the message from the person being talked about—whether the message is verbatim or not.

Let’s break them down below.

Similar to English, Spanish reporting verbs (also known as communication verbs ) are used to signal that you’re either quoting someone directly (direct speech) or paraphrasing them (reported speech).

There are dozens of reporting verbs in every language, although we tend to use some of them more often than others.

Here are a few of the most common reporting verbs in Spanish:

Decir is probably the most common Spanish word to use when talking about what someone else said.

If you want to tell someone about what another person is asking, use preguntar.

Querer saber can be used in a similar way as preguntar.

When you’re talking about what someone else wants, use pedir.

Instead of pedir, you can also use querer.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, there are so many Spanish reporting verbs that it would be impossible to list them all here. However, I can give you some of the most common ones:

You may have noticed that almost all of our examples above have the word que . I’m telling you now: que is going to be your new best friend, because every single reported statement and command in Spanish will include it, even if you omit or don’t need “that” in English.

Let’s look at a few examples:

It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about a statement, command or question. The word order will always be Subject + Verb + Object, as is typical of Spanish sentence structure .

When the reported speech Spanish speakers use is based on questions , it deviates slightly from the structure we just discussed and is based on whether you’re using a “yes or no” question or a “wh-” question.

In reported speech that’s based on this kind of question, you use si (if, whether) instead of que .

Recall the Spanish equivalents of the English “wh-” questions:

When you’re reporting a “wh-” question, you use the appropriate question words above instead of  que or  si .

One thing to keep in mind: when using the verb preguntar , you can add que just before the question word.

Don’t be afraid to write two que together! They aren’t the same word, and they don’t have the same function.

In reported speech, the personal pronouns and possessives change from the reported version. Luckily, it works the same way in English—that is, the change is necessary so that the core message isn’t lost or misinterpreted.

Again like English, time and place expressions in the reported speech Spanish speakers use change from their direct counterparts.

Here are some of the main changes that take place:

There’s a group of words I’d like to include in this section. They’re neither time nor place expressions, but they imply distance from the speaker.

Undoubtedly, the most troublesome part of reported speech in Spanish is that the verbs change their tenses.

The good news is that these changes don’t happen all the time, and you have almost identical changes in English.

But when do we need to make changes in verb tenses? How do we know?

The only thing you have to bear in mind here is the reporting verb. Yes, that little friend present at the beginning of the reported sentences we studied before.

There are only two straightforward rules, really:

1. If the reporting verb is in the present simple or the present perfect tense, you DON’T have to change any verb tenses unless you have a command.

2. If the reporting verb is in the preterite, the imperfect or the past perfect tense ( pluscuamperfecto ), you DO need to make changes.

Have a look at the following examples. The reporting verbs (in bold) are in the present simple or the present perfect, so there are no verb changes in the reported sentences.

As stated before, when you have a command, you do need to make changes even when the reporting verb is in the present or the present perfect tense. Therefore, the imperative changes into the present subjunctive .

Similarly, if the command’s reporting verb is in the past tense, the imperative changes into the imperfect subjunctive.

In those sentences where the reporting verb appears in the past tense, you need to make verb tense changes in the reported fragment. These changes are almost identical to those in English, but here are the most important ones for your convenience:

In those sentences where the verb is in the imperfect , conditional or past perfect ( pluscuamperfecto ), there are no tense changes.

I know this can all sound very overwhelming and confusing, so I’d like to introduce you to the language learning platform FluentU , where you can watch reported speech in Spanish in action.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. If you decide to sign up now, you can take advantage of our current sale!

Try FluentU for FREE!

And that’s all!

As you can see, Spanish and English reported speeches are very similar.

Just remember the few rules I’ve taught you in this post, and you’ll have no problem at all!

If you've made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and will then love FluentU .

Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You’ll learn Spanish as it’s actually spoken by real people.

FluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:

FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts. You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don’t know, you can add it to a vocab list.

Review a complete interactive transcript under the Dialogue tab, and find words and phrases listed under Vocab .

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU’s robust learning engine. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.

The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they’re learning with the same video.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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Top 87 Basic & Common Spanish Phrases You Must Know

If you’re beginner or want to sound more natural, in this article, you’ll find some common Spanish phrases that can help you get around in daily situations and engage in simple conversations.

Here is how I’ve classified these basic phrase: 

• Greetings & Polite Phrases
• Basic Spanish Phrases for Daily Situations
• Phrases for Restaurants
• Basic Sentences for Moving Around the City 
• Common Phrases for Work & School
• Downloadable PDF

Popular Spanish Greetings & Polite Phrases

• Buenos días : Good day
• Con permiso : Excuse me
• De nada : You’re welcome
• El gusto es mío : The pleasure is mine
• Hasta luego : See you later
• Hasta mañana : See you tomorrow 
• Hola, ¿cómo estás? : Hi, how are you?
• Muchas gracias : Thank you very much
• Mucho gusto : Nice to meet you
• Muy bien, ¿y tú? : Very well and you?
• No hay problema : No problem
• No muy bien : Not very well
• Nos vemos luego : See you later
• Que le vaya bien : Have a good day / Hope everything goes well
• Que tengas buen día : Have a good day

Common Spanish Phrases for Daily Situations

• Ahorita regreso / Ahorita vuelvo : I’ll be right back 
• Como quieras : As you wish
• Espérame : Wait for me
• Estoy muy cansado : I’m very tired
• Estoy ocupado : I’m busy
• ¿Me puedes ayudar?: Can you help me?
• No entiendo : I don’t understand
• No es necesario : It’s not necessary
• No estoy seguro : I’m not sure
• No puedo : I can’t
• No sé : I don’t know
• No sé cómo + [infinitivo] : I don’t know how to…
• No tiene sentido : It doesn’t make sense
• No te puedo ayudar : I can’t help you
• Pobre de ti : Poor of you
• Porque sí : Because
• ¡Qué bueno! : Good!
• ¿Qué haces? : What are you doing? / What are you up to?
• ¿Qué necesitas? : What do you need?
• ¿Qué quieres decir? : What do you want to say?
• ¿Qué quieres hacer? : What do you want to do?
• Siento oír eso : I’m sorry to hear that
• Supongo que sí : I guess so
• Tiene sentido: It makes sense
• Tienes razon: You’re right
• Tengo ganas de : I feel like
• Tengo mucha hambre : I’m very hungry
• Tómate tu tiempo : Take your time 
• Ya me voy : I’m leaving
• Vamos a + [lugar / verbo] : Let’s go to…
• Vamos por + [sustantivo] : Let’s go get…
• Vámonos : Let’s go

Check these examples: 

¿ Vamos a ir al cine más tarde? Are we going to the movies later?

¿ Qué haces ? ¿Estás ocupado? What are you doing ? Are you busy?

Basic Spanish Phrases for Restaurants

Whether you’re learning Spanish for traveling or have different goals, you likely need to use some Spanish to order food . Here are some common phrases native speakers use in this context:

• Es para llevar : It’s to go
• ¿Esta silla está ocupada?: Is this seat taken?
• La cuenta, por favor : The bill, please
• ¿Me da..? : Can you give me?
• ¿Me puede dar unos minutos? : Can you give me a few minutes?
• ¿Me puede traer…? : Can you bring me…?
• Mesa para… : Table for…
• ¿Puedo ver el menú, por favor? : Can I see the menu, please?
• Quisiera… : I would like…
• ¿Tendrá una mesa disponible? : Do you have a table available?

Check these sentences:

¿ Me puede traer un tenedor limpio? Can you bring me a clean fork?

Quisiera la ensalada de pollo y sopa. I would like the chicken salad and soup.

Mesa para cinco, por favor.  Table for five, please.  

Common Spanish Phrases for Moving Around the City

• Abre a : It opens at
• ¿A qué hora pasa el autobús? : What time does the bus come?
• Cierra a : It closes at
• ¿Cómo llego a…? : How do I get to…?
• ¿Cuánto hace a…? : How long to…? 
• ¿Dónde está…? : Where is…?
• ¿Dónde hay…? : Where is…?
• ¿Dónde puedo tomar un taxi? : Where can I take a cab?
• Estoy buscando : I’m looking for
• Estoy perdido : I’m lost
• Necesito llegar a : I need to get to

And here are some examples of how to use these basic Spanish phrases in context:

Necesito llegar al hospital.  I need to get to the hospital. 

Disculpe, ¿ dónde hay una librería? Excuse me, where is the library?

El museo abre a las 8 y cierra a las 9.  The museum opens at 8 and closes at 9. 

Take Note : If you want to ask or give directions in Spanish , you should learn some essential prepositions of place and specific questions for this context. 

Key Phrases for Work & School

• ¿A qué hora es…? : What time is…?
• ¿A qué hora se termina…? : What time does the…end?
• ¿A qué estamos hoy? : What’s today’s date?
• ¿Cómo se escribe…? : How do you spell…?
• ¿Cuál es la fecha de entrega? : What’s the deadline?
• ¿De qué se trató…? What was the…about?
• ¿En qué le puedo ayudar? : How can I help you?
• Estoy de acuerdo : I agree with you
• Estoy por: I am about to
• ¿Me puedes explicar otra vez? : Can you explain this to me again?
• ¿Qué día es…? : What day is…?
• ¿Qué opinas? : What do you think?
• ¿Qué página? : What page?
• Permítame un momento : Give me a moment
• Por favor, llámeme a : Please, call me at
• Yo tampoco entiendo : I don’t understand either
• Yo tampoco sé : I don’t know either
• Vamos a tomar una pausa : Let’s take a break

Check these examples:

¿ A qué hora es la reunión? What time is the meeting?

¿ Qué día es el examen? What day is the exam? 

Estoy por terminar tu diseño.  I am about to finish your design. 

¿ De qué se trató la clase? What was the class about?

Additional Resources for Spanish Beginners

Now that you know some common Spanish phrases, you may also want to learn basic words and common questions we can use in daily life situations. If you’re ready to take your Spanish to the next level, you should learn basic common verbs and conjugation rules so you start customizing your questions and phrases. 

Download the Common Spanish Phrases & Sentences PDF

Reading all of these phrases and sentences in Spanish is one thing. Knowing them by heart, how they work, and how to customize them takes time and practice. If you’d like to take this list of common Spanish phrases with you, feel free to download the PDF for this guide. It has all the phrases grouped by category so you can start applying them in your conversations.

Daniela Sanchez

¡Hola! Soy Daniela Sanchez, I've been studying Spanish professionally as well as teaching it in Mexico and online for over 10 years. I’ve taught Spanish to a wide array of foreigners from many backgrounds. Over the years, I've made it my mission to work hard on refining many challenging to understand grammar topics to make my students' learning experiences easier, faster and more enjoyable. Read More About Me

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Bilingual Benefits Relationship Life Cycle Consultant (Spanish/English)

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ADP is hiring a Bilingual  Relationship Life Cycle Consultant in the Chicago, IL area to manage a book of business. 

• Do you love being in front of a crowd?
• Are you a strategic thinker?
• Do you think benefits are fun?

Well, this may be the role for you. Ready to make your mark?

As a Bilingual Benefit Relationship Life Cycle Consultant , you will work to strengthen the connection with clients through service and consultation around benefit education strategies. For your assigned book of business, you will understand clients’ needs regarding benefits and strategically drive results to increase benefit participation, client experience, employee retention, and employee engagement.

Your day-to-day will be spent building relationships with key internal and external stakeholders for each client and their employees to drive year-round benefit education. In this position, you will ensure service excellence and improve client relationships, including client satisfaction and experience. You must effectively maintain, build, and manage client relationships at all levels to ensure clients achieve their benefit strategies utilizing ADP’s Human Capital Management tools and services. You will work closely with clients and their employees to optimize the utilization of their plan benefits and bring consultation to complex benefit strategies and initiatives. You will need strong partnerships with Sales, Brokers, Implementation, HR, and the Operations organization to resolve escalated and complex benefit issues. You will implement your benefit strategies through virtual, onsite, or recorded benefit presentations to each client. Travel will be required to support client visits and strengthen relationships.

To thrive in this role, you must build rapport, establish trust, develop strategies and shine with professionalism. Through onsite and virtual connections, you will help analyze benefit trends within each client and develop education strategies to assist employees in maximizing their plan and carrier resources. As a result, your client satisfaction scores make you proud. While our team’s culture promotes a healthy dose of fun and high engagement, a fast-paced environment should not scare you. Not only can you find a career here, but friendships that last in a company that values inclusion.

A little about ADP : We are a global leader in human resources technology, offering the latest AI and machine learning-enhanced payroll, tax, human resources, benefits, and much more. We believe our people make all the difference in cultivating an inclusive, down-to-earth culture that welcomes ideas, encourages innovation, and values belonging. We’ve received recognition as a global Best Places to Work and a recipient of many prestigious awards for diversity, equity, and inclusion, including a DiversityInc® Top 50 Company, Best CEO and company for women, LGBTQ+, multicultural talent, and more. Learn more about DEI at ADP on our YouTube channel: http://adp.careers/DEI_Videos

Ready to #MakeYourMark?  Apply now !

To learn more about Client Services at ADP, watch here:

https://adp.careers/Client_Services_Videos

WHAT YOU’LL DO : Responsibilities

What you can expect on a typical day:

• You will design and execute benefit strategies and communication year-round to an assigned client base, reviewing strategies to drive plan participation and retention.
• You will conduct worksite benefit meetings for groups of new hires, quarterly wellness meetings to review carrier value-add information and resources, spending accounts education, year-end onboarding meetings, open enrollment meetings, and more.
• You will manage relationships with internal and external stakeholders, focusing on benefit strategies related to worksite employee enrollment in the plan.
• You will continually upgrade your knowledge and skills in benefits, including attending training sessions and becoming a benefit subject matter expert.
• You adhere to a daily schedule to manage your meetings, calls, partner connections, etc.

TO SUCCEED IN THIS ROLE : Requirements

• Candidate must be located in the Chicago, IL area/surrounding area as they will be required to manage an external client territory/b ook of business within the area and other potential states as assigned based on client needs.  Will be a hybrid work model.  (Remote, Field, Office).
• Bilingual in English/Spanish (read, write, verbal)
• Ability to travel within assigned territory based on client needs
• You have five years of client service or client relationship management experience in a fast-paced service environment.
• You have experience in benefits.
• You excel at presentations — keeping large audiences engaged and attentive as you present.
• You’re a strategic thinker and have demonstrated the ability to assess needs and provide innovative solutions to assist clients in meeting their business objectives.

A college degree is great but not required. What’s more important is having the skills to do the job. Other acceptable experiences could include:

• Experience noted above OR
• Military Experience. We recognize and appreciate the unique talents and experiences Veterans bring to the table. We value the discipline, commitment, and problem-solving abilities you have developed and are excited to provide an environment where you can continue to make a meaningful impact.

BONUS POINTS FOR THESE : Preferred Qualifications

• Progressive management experience in consulting or large corporate environments.
• Experience with multiple larger complex clients or advisor relationships and dealing with a broad range of benefits or HR equivalent-related areas at senior levels of organizations.

YOU’LL LOVE WORKING HERE BECAUSE YOU CAN:

• Be yourself  in a culture that values equity, inclusion, and belonging and creates a safe space for diverse perspectives and insights.
• Belong  by joining one of our Business Resource Groups where you can connect globally with networks and allies who share common interests and experiences.
• Grow your career  in an agile, dynamic environment with plenty of opportunities to progress.
• Continuously learn  through ongoing training, development, and mentorship opportunities.
• Be your healthiest . Best-in-class benefits start on Day 1 because healthy associates are happy ones.
• Focus on your mental health and well-being . We’re here to provide exceptional service to our clients, and none of that happens without each of us taking care of ourselves and being there for one another.
• Join a company committed to giving back  and generating a lasting, positive impact upon the communities in which we work and live.
• Get paid to pay it forward . Company-paid time off for volunteering for causes you care about.

What are you waiting for?  Apply today!

• Range minimum: $0.00
• Range maximum: $0.00
• Compensation type: Year

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We are a global leader in human resources technology, offering the latest AI and machine learning-enhanced payroll, tax, human resources, benefits, and much more. We believe our people make all the difference in cultivating an inclusive, down-to-earth culture that welcomes ideas, encourages innovation, and values belonging.

Learn more about diversity, equity, and inclusion at ADP on our YouTube channel .

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• Ethics & Integrity at ADP

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Equal Employment Opportunity at ADP: ADP affirms inequality is detrimental to our associates, our clients, and the communities we serve. Our goal is to impact lasting change through our actions. Together, we unite for equality and equity. ADP is committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of any protected characteristic including: race, color, genetic information, creed, national origin, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, lawful alien status, ancestry, age, marital status, or protected veteran status and will not discriminate against anyone on the basis of a disability. We support an inclusive workplace where associates excel based on personal merit, qualifications, experience, ability, and job performance.

ADP, the ADP logo, and Always Designing for People are trademarks of ADP, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Copyright © 2022 ADP, Inc. All rights reserved.

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8 Things You’re Doing Wrong to Aging Skin

These common practices might actually age your skin faster.

Stephanie Watson,

Let’s face it: The years aren’t kind to skin. We start to lose collagen and elastin, two proteins that give skin its structure and elasticity, in our 30s. And it’s all downhill from there.

“The loss of collagen and elastin leads to signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles and skin laxity,” says Michele Green, M.D., a New York City–based board-certified cosmetic dermatologist. On top of that, years of sun exposure leave skin dotted with dark spots.

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An entire industry has grown up around protecting our skin from the effects of time. An estimated 62 percent of Americans say they use products intended for mature skin as part of a daily skin care routine. Yet we’re not always using the right items, and many of us are missing some important steps to keep our skin healthy as we age. Here are eight mistakes that can cause skin to age faster. Some of them can also lead to serious health problems.

1. Not wearing sunscreen every day

This is a big one, says Camila Antia, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and co-owner of The Skin People, in Bellaire, Texas. When ultraviolet rays from the sun hit your skin, they cause changes at the cellular level that lead to premature aging, called photoaging, not to mention an increased risk for skin cancer .

About 80 percent of skin aging on the face can be attributed to UV exposure. Wearing sunscreen every day not only protects against photoaging but could potentially reverse it. Experts recommend applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects from both UVA and UVB and has an SPF of at least 30 (50 is even better) and wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses whenever you’re outside, even on cloudy days.

Your face isn’t the only part of you that needs sun protection. “The other thing that people do is they don’t put sunscreen on their neck and chest or hands,” Antia says. “That’s when you see somebody whose skin looks perfect on their face, and then their neck and hands tell their age.” Cover every exposed part of you with sunscreen before you leave the house each morning.

2. Overexfoliating

This is Antia’s “number one peeve,” she says. “People overdo it with exfoliants . If you overexfoliate, you can make your skin look dull and a little older than it actually is, so you want to stick with gentle exfoliating methods.”

The goal of exfoliating is to remove dead skin cells, dirt and other debris from the skin’s surface, but too much of it can strip away your skin’s natural oils and damage its moisture barrier. Also, not all exfoliants are created equal. Physical or manual exfoliation uses a brush or a scrub that feels like little grains or coffee grounds to physically remove dead skin cells. Chemical exfoliation involves chemicals such as alpha- or beta-hydroxy acid to gently remove skin cells.

Antia recommends chemical exfoliation because it’s less harsh on the skin. Even with this gentler method, don’t go overboard. “Your skin doesn’t need to get polished every single day,” she says. “You want to do it once a week, and if you have sensitive skin, you might do it once every two weeks or so.”

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3. Using skin care products that irritate

“One of the biggest mistakes that I see from patients is continuously using a product that is actively irritating them,” Green says. “Many of my older patients have been using the same skin care routine for years and years, and it can be hard to switch up a routine that you are comfortable with.”

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If your skin turns red or stings after applying a product, stop using it. Continuing to use an irritating skin product could leave you with skin color changes called hyperpigmentation, she cautions.

4. Using hyaluronic acid incorrectly

You’ve probably heard about hyaluronic acid, since it’s in lots of commercials for skin care products. This natural substance is important because it attracts moisture from the air and pulls it into your skin. But if you apply hyaluronic acid to damp skin and you don’t seal it in with a moisturizer, it could have the opposite effect. “Hyaluronic acid can actually dehydrate your skin because it pulls water out,” Antia says.

5. Getting your skin care from the wrong person

Chemical peels, lasers and microdermabrasion are all tools to reduce signs of aging like fine lines, wrinkles and age spots. But if you get one of these procedures from a place that isn’t licensed or from a practitioner who doesn’t know what they’re doing, they could cause redness and peeling, and accelerate the signs of aging.

The results could be even worse. In April 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned of reactions like blurry vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech and breathing difficulty in people who’d received fake Botox injections from unlicensed providers in homes and spas. Some of those who’d received the counterfeit shots ended up in the hospital. Recently the CDC warned that three New Mexico women tested positive for HIV after receiving vampire facials from a clinic that was using unsafe practices.

Popularized by Kim Kardashian, a vampire facial, also called platelet-rich plasma microneedling, involves drawing a person’s blood, separating out the platelets and injecting the platelets back into the face with tiny needles. It’s unclear whether the women contracted HIV through unclean needles or the injection of blood that wasn’t their own, but it speaks to dangers of unlicensed practitioners. Make sure any skin care provider you visit is reputable. Ask about their qualifications. They should be licensed and, if they’re not a doctor, at least supervised by one — ideally by a dermatologist, Antia says.

6. Not removing your makeup before bed

Washing your face before you retire for the night is one habit worth getting into. When you leave on your makeup while you sleep, all the chemicals and other irritants that your skin was exposed to during the day get sealed in. That can age your skin.

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This isn’t something you do to your skin specifically, but smoking is still worth noting because of its harmful effects. Research has shown that smoking prematurely ages skin and accelerates wrinkling. That’s why the skin of a heavy smoker at age 40 looks like the skin of a 70-year-old nonsmoker. The damage that smoking inflicts on the skin is irreversible.

8. Following skin care fads

Social media is full of influencers hyping various skin trends. Many of these fads do little to improve aging skin. Take the collagen craze, which has proponents recommending that people ingest this protein through pills or drinks. “There is no research confirming that collagen pills or drinks can make a difference in skin,” says Green. You’re much better off trying a retinol cream or an in-office treatment like Thermage or Fraxel that is proven to increase collagen production, she adds. Other influencer tips, like using sunscreen as a highlighter, could be harmful.

Following the latest fad without taking your skin’s needs into account is a big mistake. So is accepting skin care advice from a cousin, friend or anyone else who doesn’t have the right training. What works for other people won’t necessarily work for you. “You have to understand your skin, and anything that you do has to be personalized and tailored to your own skin,” says Antia.

The Best Skin Care Routine for Aging Skin

Now that you know what not to do to your skin, what should you do to prevent premature aging? Keep it simple. The ideal skin care regimen should consist of three basics: a cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen.

You can add in an extra like retinol too. Apply it before your moisturizer at night. “Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that accelerates the skin cell turnover rate to remove dead skin cells, debris and other impurities from the skin,” says Green. “By sloughing off dead skin cells, new skin cells can come to the surface faster.”

But avoid using retinol in the morning because it can make your skin more sensitive to the sun.

Products with vitamin C are also worth trying. They contain antioxidants that protect skin from oxidative stress and UV damage, and reduce signs of aging. You can apply it before your moisturizer in the morning and at night.

Finally, find a dermatologist you trust and ask for their advice. The doctor can analyze your skin and see which products are best suited to protecting your skin and helping you look your best at any age.

Stephanie Watson is a freelance writer with more than two decades of experience covering consumer health. Her work has appeared in WebMD, Time, Harvard Health Publications, Healthline, HealthCentral and many other publications. She also served as executive editor of Harvard Women’s Health Watch .

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