Spanish course

Lesson 1 of 238

Hello, how are you? in Spanish

Welcome to the free Spanish course

This is lesson 1 of Yak Yacker's free Spanish course: 238 short lessons that take you from your very first hola to real conversations in everyday Mexican Spanish.

No sign-up or paywall required, though signing up has benefits, like keeping track of your progress.

Each lesson is one page that takes about 15 minutes, on your phone or at a desk.

Every lesson works the same way. You learn a handful of short lines you can actually say, and hear each one from a native speaker.

Then you watch them in a short scene, practice them with quick exercises, and finish by saying them out loud yourself.

Grammar comes along inside the phrases, so there are no tables to memorize.

The whole course follows one story.

Justin has just moved to Colonia El Laurel, a neighborhood in Mexico City.

Michael at Café Laurel, his neighbor Amanda, and a very polite yak called Yako give him the Spanish he needs, one small moment at a time.

Why Yako already knows everyone's name is a question the course takes its time to answer.

Lesson 1 starts at the very basics of Spanish: the first minute of any conversation.

It's late morning at Café Laurel. Yako has taken two chairs by the window, and he greets Justin by name before Justin has said a word.

You'll learn how to say hello at any hour, ask how someone is, answer, and swap names.

By the end of this lesson

Greet someone at any time of day, give your name, ask theirs, and answer how you are.

  • Hola.Hi
  • Buenos días.Good morning
  • Buenas tardes.Good afternoon
  • Buenas noches.Good evening
  • ¿Cómo estás?How are you?
  • Bien, gracias.I'm good, thanks
  • Soy ___.I'm ___
  • ¿Cómo te llamas?What's your name?

Scene — Café Laurel

Justin is new in Colonia El Laurel and has walked into Café Laurel, the corner café, for his first coffee. Michael, who runs the place, is behind the counter.

Yako, a yak in a wool coat with a metro card on a string, is already spread across two chairs by the window, as if he has been waiting for someone.

Yako is sprawled across two café chairs by the sunny window while Justin walks in from the street.

Learn — hello and names

Here are today's eight lines. Press Play, listen, then say each one out loud before you move on.

You don't need to memorize them yet: the scene, the practice, and the speaking all bring them back.

  1. Yako raises a hoof to say hola to Justin.

    Hola.

    Hi

    When to use it: Any time of day, with anyone. The h is silent: say “OH-la”.

  2. Morning at the counter: Michael greets Justin with buenos días over the first coffees.

    Buenos días.

    Good morning

    When to use it: From when you wake up until about noon.

    It works as hello and as goodbye before midday.

  3. Afternoon: Michael comes out from the counter and says buenas tardes to Yako.

    Buenas tardes.

    Good afternoon

    When to use it: From about noon until it gets dark.

    Buenas, not buenos: tardes is a feminine word.

  4. Evening: Justin comes back in and says buenas noches to Yako, who is still on his two chairs.

    Buenas noches.

    Good evening

    When to use it: After dark, as the evening hello.

    You'll also hear it as “good night” when someone leaves.

  5. Justin asks Yako how he is.

    ¿Cómo estás?

    How are you?

    When to use it: Ask a friend, a neighbor, or anyone your own age how they are.

    This is the friendly tú form. With an older stranger you may hear ¿Cómo está?

  6. Yako answers bien, gracias with a happy thumbs-up.

    Bien, gracias.

    I'm good, thanks

    When to use it: The short, friendly answer to how are you.

  7. Justin introduces himself, one hand on his chest.

    Soy ___.

    I'm ___

    When to use it: Say soy, then your name: Soy Justin.

  8. ¿Cómo te llamas?

    What's your name?

    When to use it: Ask someone's name in a friendly, everyday way.

    Word for word it's “how do you call yourself?” The answer can be Soy plus a name.

    Say it: In Mexico the ll in llamas sounds like the y in yes: “YAH-mas”.

Story — the first hello

Every lesson has a short scene like this one. The highlighted words are the lines you just learned.

Read along, press Play the scene to hear it, and turn on Show English if you get stuck.

  1. Late morning. Justin comes in from the street.
  2. Yako¡Hola! Buenos días, Justin.Hi! Good morning, Justin.
  3. JustinBuenos días…Good morning…
  4. Yako¿Cómo te llamas?What's your name?
  5. Justin waits a second. Yako just said his name.
  6. JustinSoy Justin. ¿Cómo estás?I'm Justin. How are you?
  7. YakoBien, gracias.I'm good, thanks.
  8. Justin¿Me puedo unir?Can I join you?
  9. YakoSí, claro.Yes, of course.
  10. Afternoon. Michael comes out from behind the counter. Yako's still on two chairs.
  11. MichaelBuenas tardes, Yako.Good afternoon, Yako.
  12. YakoBuenas tardes, Michael.Good afternoon, Michael.
  13. Evening. Justin comes back for one more coffee.
  14. JustinBuenas noches, Yako.Good evening, Yako.
  15. YakoBuenas noches. Yo solo pasaba.Good evening. I was just passing by.

Practice — use the greetings

Eleven quick exercises, each a tiny situation. Pick or type an answer and press Check.

Keep trying until you get it, or skip and come back later. Once you get it right, you'll see why in one sentence.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    Spanish

    Hola.Drop the English here
    Buenas tardes.Drop the English here
    ¿Cómo estás?Drop the English here
    ¿Cómo te llamas?Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its Spanish, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    It's 4 in the afternoon. You walk into the café.

  4. Which picture fits “Buenas noches”?

  5. Build the line

    Good evening

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  6. Pick the reply

    Yako says:

    ¡Hola!

    Hi!

    And you reply with:

  7. Fill the gap

    How are you?

    ¿Cómo ____?

  8. Find the mistake

  9. Pick the reply

    Yako says:

    ¿Cómo estás?

    How are you?

    And you reply with:

  10. Build the line

    What's your name?

    ¿ ?

    Tap the words in order.

  11. Pick the reply

    Yako says:

    ¿Cómo te llamas?

    What's your name?

    And you reply with:

Say it — your first hello

Now it's your turn. You play Justin: Yako speaks first, and you answer out loud.

Tap the microphone and your device listens and checks you (nothing is uploaded). Tap ▶ to hear the line first, or the skip button to move on.

Every lesson ends like this, because the goal is to talk.

  1. Yako¡Hola!Hi!
  2. Justin (you)Say hi back.

    Hola.

    Hi

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

SpanishEnglish
Hola.Hi
Buenos días.Good morning
Buenas tardes.Good afternoon
Buenas noches.Good evening
¿Cómo estás?How are you?
Bien, gracias.I'm good, thanks
Soy ___.I'm ___
¿Cómo te llamas?What's your name?
Next: lesson 2What's it like out

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Every line from Café Laurel is waiting in Yak Cards, so the greetings are still there tomorrow morning.

A hello fades fast if you only say it once. Five minutes of cards keeps it ready for the next coffee.

Open Yak Cards