Spanish Words for a meeting

Learning Useful Spanish Words

I have spent a lot of time on Duolingo, at the start diligently learning to fill in missing words in sentences like a witch's hat is green, and the rabbits are in the car, which is good for reading confusing nonsense to a grandchild. 

I can recognize 'the elephant is big', which is useful on a visit to a zoo. However, what I really need is a simple conversation. I meet a Venezuelan man and a Spanish woman in London at a meeting of the Toastmasters International Speakers' club. I want to say, 'The meeting was good,' and, 'Let's walk to the station together'.

 So I went into translate google and wrote out the phrases I really need. However, I must admit that all those weeks of learning Spanish on Duolingo have paid off. Because I can now see at a glance which words are singular or plural. With a bit of effort I can identify past or future. I can even spot the challenges of the order of I give to you and you give to me. 

Here's my first list of useful words for a meeting.  I hope other people who travel or meet travellers will also find it useful.

 Español Spanish Simple Conversation At A Social Or Business Meeting

España Spain

Inglaterra England

Inglés English

Británico British

Soy inglés I am English

Hablo inglés I speak English

¿Hablas inglés? Do you speak English?

Hablo español I speak Spanish

Hablo un poco de español  I speak a little Spanish

No hablo español I don't speak Spanish

Solo un poco only a little

Hablo un poco I speak a little

Reuniones meeting

¿Lo pasaste bien? Did you have a good time

Fue una buena reunión it was a good meeting

Siempre buena always good

Interesante interesting

Aprendí mucho I leanred a lot

Aprendí cosas nuevas I learned new things

Discursos geniales good speeches

Todas las reuniones son buenas All the meetings are good

Las reuniones siempre son buenas The meetings are always good

¿Me das tu número de teléfono?  Can I have your phone number?

¿Te doy mi número de teléfono? Can you give me your phone number?

Aquí tienes mi número de teléfono Here is my phone number

Anótalo

La salida está ahí

La salida de emergencia está ahí

Los baños están afuera

A la derecha On the right

A la izquierda On the left

Deberíamos esperar

¿Cuándo empieza? When does it start?

¿Cuándo termina? When does it end?

Hasta la próxima See you next time (until next time)

¿Cuándo es la próxima reunión? When is the next meeting

Añádela a tu teléfono

Por favor, llámame Please call me

Cuando quieras

Ahora now

es it is

¿Dónde está la invitación? Where is the invitation?

Empezaremos en breve. We are starting shortly

Empezamos a las 7:30. We start at 7.30

Normalmente terminamos a las 9:00. We normally/usually end at 9 o' clock

¿Dónde es? ¿Dónde es la reunión? Where is where is the meeting?

¿Dónde estás? Where is it?

¿Dónde están los baños? Where are the toilets?

¿Dónde están los baños de mujeres? Where is the Ladies?

¿Dónde están los baños de hombres? Where is the Gents?

¿Cómo estás? How

Ven aquí. Come here

Ven conmigo. Come with me

Un momento. Just a moment

Espera un momento. Wait a minute

Espera aquí. Wait here

¿Cómo estás? How are you?

Muy bien, gracias. Very well, thanks

¿Y tú? And you?

Siéntate aquí. Sit here

Siéntate. Sit down

Fiesta.a party

Festival. a festival

Call To Action

I suggest you make your own list of words you really need.

Please share links to your favourite or most useful posts.

This Will Make You Laugh At Language Misunderstandings

Problems
You ask, 'Where do you live?'
Somebody replies, 'America'.
'Oh, yes,' you reply. 'Where?' (You mean which city.)
They repeat, 'America'.

Where can mean which country, which city, or which type of building, or what is the name of the street or block of flats.

Singaporeans use the word 'stay' to mean living. They ask, 'Where do you stay?"

Stay also implies overnight.

If I am going to Malaysia for the weekend, "I might reply, I'm just doing for the day. I'm not staying there."

You stay in a hotel. Few people are lucky enough to live long-term in a hotel nowadays.

Problems

Where do you live, exactly?Interesting, it is a curiosity - that the questions 'where?' can mean in general, which area or city, and specifically, which building. 

Do you know it?

I had an experience of misunderstanding of a basic, common question. I got off a bus in Singapore, map in hand, and asked a passer-by, "Do you know Sixth Avenue?" 

She replied, "No. Where is it?" 

For a second I thought she was being unhelpful and sarcastic. But she simply looked baffled. 

Back then, I reckoned her native language must use a different construction. 

Any English person would recognize, 'Do you know it?' as short for, 'Do you know it? If so, tell me where it is.' 

The answer would be, 'Yes over there,' or, 'Sorry, I'm a stranger.' 

I should have been more specific and asked, 'Where is Sixth Avenue?' 

Literally

An additional factor I did not know then, but know now, is that it might not be a question of linguistic confusion, but autism, taking everything literally.  

Newspaper Headlines

Newspapers use a lot of metaphors. I remember reading: Kinnock hits Thatcher. I assumed they meant it literally. A member of the opposition party had resorted to physical attack. I read on and discovered he had merely verbally hit her ideas.

Metaphors and Messages

English is full of metaphors and messages 'between the lines'. That makes it confusing initially, but full of long-term treasures and discoveries.