Useful Phrases for travelling in Argentina as a Tourist

/ Buenos Aires

In this post, I’m going to share with you some expressions that will help you to communicate in Spanish. These are phrases that I teach my students in our Spanish lessons. 

It’s important to remember that in Buenos Aires city, many people will try to communicate with you in English, even if their level is basic. Most people will try to help you say what you need. 

Conor speaks Spanish and locals find it a pleasant surprise when he orders or speaks Spanish with them!

You can always try to improve your Spanish and take online Spanish lessons or do an online course. Have a look at these courses I made on Skillshare!  

What are some greetings in Argentina?

When visiting Argentina there are a few phrases you can say when meeting your host or entering a place, or before ordering something at a store: 

¡Hola!: Hello (Pro tip! We don’t pronounce the letter ‘h’, so this word sounds like /ola/ )

Buenos días: Good morning 

Buenas tardes: Good afternoon (Pro tip! We don’t have an equivalent for ‘evening’, so we just say ‘Buenas tardes‘ until 7 pm. After that, we say Buenas noches)  

Buenas noches: Good night 

¿Cómo estás?: How are you? (Pro tip! You don’t have to say this every time and this is a very common informal way of asking. A more formal question is ¿Cómo está?) 

Bien, gracias: I’m fine, thank you. (Pro tip! You can also say ‘Estoy bien, gracias’ or ‘Estoy muy bien, gracias’.)

Chau: Goodbye 

Other useful phrases when buying things: 

Estoy mirando: I’m just looking 

¿Cuánto cuesta?: How much is this? (Pro tip! If you are looking at a pair of shoes you can also say ‘¿Cuánto cuestan?’)

¿Efectivo o tarjeta?: Cash or card? At the stores, the cashier will always ask for payment methods. 

Cambio: Change 

No tengo cambio: I don’t have change. 

Muchas gracias: Thanks a lot 

Por favor: Please

Useful phrases for asking directions: 

¿Dónde queda la calle Paraguay?: Where’s Paraguay street?

Queda a tres cuadras: It’s three blocks from here (cuadras: blocks) 

¿Cómo se llama esta calle?: What ‘s the name of this street? 

💡 My advice: Try to download a map of the city on Google so you can use it when you’re offline too. All your places will be saved and you’ll be able to find streets and other places too. 

What do you need to know before traveling to Argentina?

Here are a few things that are very common in Latin American countries like: 

People greet each other with a kiss or a hug, men and women kiss once on the cheek (this is between men and men too in Argentina!) 

Most people might speak a bit more loudly than in other countries, so don’t be surprised if in a bar or a busy restaurant you are having trouble hearing what your partner/friend is saying. 

Most people will leave a tip in restaurants, there isn’t a fixed rate. But if you had a big meal you can leave between 5 or 10% of the total price. 

In some restaurants there’s a service charge, you’ll see this in your ticket “servicio de mesa” or “cubierto”, that’s included in the total price. 

Other related articles about Buenos Aires 👇