Learn Spanish Restaurant Vocabulary - Common Spanish Phrases to Learn Before You Dine Out

By Karen Celine Carlson






We have all experienced it at one time. We want to put our best foot forward when we are dining out. Part of the goal of learning Spanish, after all, is to be able to speak Spanish in public places. Here are a few common Spanish phrases to help your dinner become memorable for all the right reasons.

You can start by memorizing food names. But, you really don't want to be stuck there. So one of the first things you should learn is how to ask for a table for your party.
Let's start with this simple question:

Do you have a table for six? = Tienes una mesa para seis personas?

All you need to do to make the question just right for your number of guests is to replace the Spanish word "seis", which means "six", with the appropriate Spanish number. For example:

Do you have a table for two? Tienes una mesa para dos personas?
Do you have a table for four? Tienes una mesa para quatro personas?
All you really need to know to make this transaction comfortable is the question and your Spanish numbers, which most Spanish students learn right away.

Your waiter may ask you the following questions, or you may wish to ask them of your own guests. Either way, knowing them both helps to move the ordering process in the right direction.

What would you like to eat? = Que quieres comer?
What would you like to drink? = Que quieres beber?
Either of these questions can be followed with simply using the word for the food you would like to have, such as taco, enchilada, bocadillos(sandwiches), biftec(steak), camarones (shrimp), or something else that you have planned.

The correct word for waiter is camarero. If you are polite, you can practice any amount of your beginning Spanish, and you will be helped along, and well received. Remembering por favor (please) and gracias (thank you) are basic essentials, and will go along way toward helping you get what you would like, even if you arrive at the restaurant and panic to the point where all Spanish leaves your head. You will not be the first to have that happen to you, nor the last. Don't worry, but do remember the polite basics and you will be fine.

Near the end of your meal, you may find the following helpful as well:
Could I have the bill, please? = La cuenta, por favor.
The toilet? = Los servicios?

Finally, a friendly smile goes a long way toward smoothing over any problems you will have communicating as you practice your Spanish, because it is understood in every language! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3109468