First Phrases

Dinner with strangers · Español

Dinner with strangers in Spanish: 10 phrases for tonight

A shared table where nobody knows anybody, which makes it easy to ask the obvious questions. Names, what you do, how you know the host: everyone is in the same boat.

Register: Informal (friendly). Tú with other guests is normal at a supper club or dinner with strangers in Spain. Dinner is late: 21:00 or later is normal.

How to read the sounds: Spanish is mostly read as written. In Spain, c before e/i and z sound like English th. h is silent. ñ = ny. rr is rolled. Stress is marked in CAPITALS.

10 phrases, door to goodbye

  1. 01 · Arriving
    ¡Buenas noches! Me llamo ___. Encantado/Encantada.
    Say it like: BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs! meh YAH-moh ___. en-kan-TAH-doh/en-kan-TAH-dah
    Good evening! I'm ___. Nice to meet you.
  2. 02 · Saying you're new
    No conozco a nadie, así que ¡me alegra estar aquí!
    Say it like: noh koh-NOTH-koh ah NAH-dyeh, ah-SEE keh meh ah-LEH-grah es-TAR ah-KEE
    I don't know anyone, so I'm glad to be here!
  3. 03 · Asking how it works
    ¿Nos sentamos donde queramos? ¿Se comparte la comida?
    Say it like: nohs sen-TAH-mohs DON-deh keh-RAH-mohs? seh kom-PAR-teh lah koh-MEE-dah
    Do we sit wherever we like? Is the food shared?
  4. 04 · Small talk
    ¿A qué te dedicas?
    Say it like: ah keh teh deh-DEE-kahs
    What do you do for work?
  5. 05 · Small talk
    ¿De qué conoces al anfitrión?
    Say it like: deh keh koh-NOH-thehs al an-fee-TRYON
    How do you know the host?
  6. 06 · Small talk
    ¿Habías venido a alguna cena de estas antes?
    Say it like: ah-BEE-ahs beh-NEE-doh ah al-GOO-nah THEH-nah deh ES-tahs AN-tehs
    Have you been to one of these dinners before?
  7. 07 · Dietary needs
    Soy vegetariano/vegetariana. ¿Hay algo sin carne?
    Say it like: soy beh-heh-tah-RYAH-noh/beh-heh-tah-RYAH-nah. eye AL-goh seen KAR-neh
    I'm vegetarian. Is there something without meat?
  8. 08 · At the table
    ¿Me pasas el agua, por favor?
    Say it like: meh PAH-sahs el AH-gwah, por fah-BOR
    Could you pass me the water, please?
  9. 09 · Paying
    ¿Dividimos la cuenta o cómo se paga?
    Say it like: dee-bee-DEE-mohs lah KWEN-tah oh KOH-moh seh PAH-gah
    Shall we split the bill, or how does payment work?
  10. 10 · Leaving & keeping in touch
    Gracias por la compañía. ¡Repetimos pronto!
    Say it like: GRAH-thyahs por lah kom-pah-NYEE-ah. rreh-peh-TEE-mohs PRON-toh
    Thanks for the company. Let's do it again soon!

3 things you will probably hear

  1. H1 · You may hear
    Sentaos donde queráis.
    Say it like: sen-TAH-ohs DON-deh keh-RAH-ees
    Sit wherever you like.
  2. H2 · You may hear
    ¿Alguna alergia o algo que no comáis?
    Say it like: al-GOO-nah ah-LER-hyah oh AL-goh keh noh koh-MAH-ees
    Any allergies or anything you don't eat?
  3. H3 · You may hear
    ¿Pedimos otra botella de vino?
    Say it like: peh-DEE-mohs OH-trah boh-TEH-yah deh BEE-noh
    Shall we order another bottle of wine?

Go and try it

Find dinners with strangers on Come Alone

Quick answers

What do I say when I arrive alone at a dinner with strangers in Spanish?

Start with: "¡Buenas noches! Me llamo ___. Encantado/Encantada." (Good evening! I'm ___. Nice to meet you.). Then say you are new: "No conozco a nadie, así que ¡me alegra estar aquí!" (I don't know anyone, so I'm glad to be here!)

Should I use informal or formal Spanish at a dinner with strangers?

Tú with other guests is normal at a supper club or dinner with strangers in Spain. Dinner is late: 21:00 or later is normal.

How do I ask to meet again after a dinner with strangers in Spanish?

Try: "Gracias por la compañía. ¡Repetimos pronto!" (Thanks for the company. Let's do it again soon!)

Same evening, another language

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Spanish, another evening

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All 7 × 6 cards · Phrases for a specific event near you

How it works

  1. Pick the evening and the language people will speak.
  2. Read the ten phrases in order: they follow the evening from the door to goodbye. Tap the speaker to hear each one in your device's voice.
  3. Print the card or keep it open on your phone. Native-speaker review is still pending; a "check" mark flags a phrase we are least sure of.
  4. Find the event on Come Alone, open it in Meet & Mint to see who else is going, and say the first phrase for real.

firstphrases.app/tonight/dinner/es/ · Meet & Mint